2015 Reading Goals

I want to read 75 books, 10 of which I owned in 2014 or before.

I want to reread these series:
-Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
-Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
-Fallen by Lauren Kate
-Shade by Jeri Smith Ready

I want to read these series in their entirety:
-Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
-Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

I want to read all of Nicholas Sparks books. 

Review | Vicious

Vicious (Pretty Little Liars #16) by Sara Shepard
December 2014 by HarperCollins
352 pages
Five stars


"In Rosewood, Pennsylvania, reporters are lined up outside the historic courthouse, typing furiously at their iPhones with freshly manicured nails. Because the trial of the century is happening right here in Rosewood: the four pretty little liars have been accused of killing Alison DiLaurentis. Only Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily know that they've been framed. Ali is still out there, laughing as she watches the girls go down for her murder. But when your nickname includes the word "liar," no one believes you're telling the truth. . . .

Aria tries to run away from it all but finds that life on the lam is even harder than life as a liar. Spencer gets in touch with someone who can help her disappear--but when a guy from her past reemerges, Spencer no longer knows what she wants. Hanna decides that she'll hear wedding bells chime before she serves time. And in the face of prison, Emily does something truly drastic--something that will change her friends' lives forever.

As the trial goes on and the outcome looks grim, the girls are in their darkest hour yet. But maybe they can finally figure out how to beat Ali at her own game. Because once upon a time, she was just a pretty little liar too. " - Goodreads



This will probably be a pretty basic and vague review since it's about the last book in a very long series, but just hang in there with me. I don't want to give away any spoilers for anyone that hasn't read the book. I feel like I can't not review this book though.

The last few books in the series have left me kind of worried with how the series was going to end, and if it was even really going to end. I'll admit, I loved it still. I didn't mind one bit that there was 16 or more books in the series because I was so invested in the storyline and the characters. In the first half of the series, the question was always is Ali still alive? Who is A? By last book or two, we knew the answer to those questions. We always expect everything to be wrapped up all nice and have all loose ends tied. I didn't have a clue how that was going to happen in the series.

Vicious was an amazing book. That's all I will say. I loved it. It was the perfect ending to the series and I feel so satisfied after finishing it. If you're someone who is okay reading 16 or more books, or someone who likes the tv series, read Pretty Little Liars. It's such a fun series to read and get lost in. Now that the last book has come out, you can rest assured that the series will indeed end and all or questions will be answered.

If you've finished the series, what did you think of it?

Review | The Perfectionists

The Perfectionists (The Perfectionists #1) by Sara Shepard
October 2014 by HarperCollins
336 pages
Four stars


"From the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series Pretty Little Liars comes a thrilling new novel about five perfect girls who are framed for a murder they didn’t commit.

In Beacon Heights, Washington, five girls—Ava, Caitlin, Mackenzie, Julie, and Parker—know that you don’t have to be good to be perfect. At first the girls think they have nothing in common, until they realize that they all hate Nolan Hotchkiss, who’s done terrible things to each of them. They come up with the perfect way to kill him—a hypothetical murder, of course. It’s just a joke...until Nolan turns up dead, in exactly the way they planned. Only, they didn't do it. And unless they find the real killer, their perfect lives will come crashing down around them.

From Sara Shepard, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series, comes another story of dark secrets, shocking twists, and what happens when five beautiful girls will do anything to hide the ugly truth." - Goodreads


As far as a first book in a series goes, this one was pretty good. I love the way Sara Shepard writes and starts off her series. You always get a good amount of background to the characters and storyline but plenty of mystery. The whole plot for this series really interested me because it's very different from anything else I've read.

I would say my least favorite part of The Perfectionists is the characters. I think they are well developed for being a first story in the series. They are obviously not perfect, but there are some things about them that I don't like or connect with. The girls seem a little over the top at times and unrealistic. Some of the topics that were brought up are great. I don't see enough of those realistic issues in young adult literature. It was nice to get more than just a love triangle, although of course there was one of those as well. The characters and their storylines are very diverse and it was easy to keep track of each girl and their story which is something I had a hard time with in The Heiresses.

I feel like I always say this, but I was surprised by the turn of events and the end of this book. Maybe I'm just not the type of reader that tries to figure out the plot and spoil the surprises. I won't say too much about the ending as I don't want to spoil it for people who wish to read this book. I loved it though and it makes you want to read on in the series.

I really loved where The Perfectionists left off and think it will be a great place to start with for The Good Girls , which is book two in the series(June 2nd, 2015). I hope the length of the series is closer to The Lying Game than Pretty Little Liars. I read every book in PLL but it was a few too many books.

I've heard rumors that this series may be picked up for a TV series, which I am pretty happy to hear. The Lying Game strayed too far from the book to be entertaining. Pretty Little Liars is amazing but there are only two and a half seasons left. If The Perfectionists does get picked up, it will be at a great time. This may be a storyline that is better served as a TV series anyways.

Have you read The Perfectionists? Let me know what you thought!

Review | Asylum

Asylum (#1) by Madeleine Roux
August 2013 by HarperTeen
313 pages
Four stars


"Asylum is a thrilling and creepy photo-novel perfect for fans of the New York Times bestseller Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, New Hampshire College Prep is more than a summer program—it's a lifeline. An outcast at his high school, Dan is excited to finally make some friends in his last summer before college. But when he arrives at the program, Dan learns that his dorm for the summer used to be a sanatorium, more commonly known as an asylum. And not just any asylum—a last resort for the criminally insane.

As Dan and his new friends, Abby and Jordan, explore the hidden recesses of their creepy summer home, they soon discover it's no coincidence that the three of them ended up here. Because the asylum holds the key to a terrifying past. And there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.

Featuring found photos of unsettling history and real abandoned asylums and filled with chilling mystery and page-turning suspense, Madeleine Roux's teen debut, Asylum, is a horror story that treads the line between genius and insanity." - Goodreads


This was such a fun book to read! The cover art is beautiful and it was the first thing that drew me to the book before I had any idea what it was about. It's so mysterious and I feel like it really embodies what the book is about.

Asylum kept me on the edge of my seat for most of it and just kept throwing surprises at me left and right. It did have spots that dragged a little bit and I wish there had been a little more character development, but thats usually what happens in the first book of a series. I don't suggest reading the book in the dark because it's just creepy enough that I couldn't fall asleep right away. I kept thinking I would wake up and be in an insane asylum. Of course that was just my imagination and paranoia but this book did a great job at giving me the heebie jeebies.

I thought I had the plot figured out and I knew what was going to happen and I was so wrong! I really thought that Dan was actually just crazy and that when he was blacking out, it was him going crazy on people. Whenever Dan would go down to the basement or do something stupid I would just yell at my Kindle and I was near throwing it across the room at times. The ending really surprised me and looking back now I'm pretty happy they went the way they did with the story. It makes a lot of sense and gives the location of the story more personality and makes it larger than life. I really enjoy book where the location and setting as so much personality that it's almost a character itself.

I love where the book left off and cannot wait to start the next book, Sanctum. I'm looking forward to learning more information about this town and the people that lived in it. We all know carnivals are creepy. I can't wait to see what Madeleine Roux does to make it even more creepy.

Review | Isla and the Happily Ever After

Isla and the Happily Ever After (#3) by Stephanie Perkins
August 2014 by Dutton
352 pages
Five stars


"Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series. " -Goodreads


I give Isla and the Happily Ever After 5 stars and a big high five! I frickin' loved this book! This was the perfect ending to the series and it wrapped up every one's story so well. I felt so many feels while reading this and couldn't help but giggling out loud or yelling at the book. I love when a story can make those emotions come out of you. I'm so glad I wasn't in public because I'm sure I looked like a crazy person.

I've heard a lot of people say that they were the least excited for this book out of the three and they weren't as invested in the story as the others. I've got to say I disagree, and not just because it's the last story in the series. I was really excited once I heard the story was about Josh. I've always found him as a very interesting character. I liked that we got a small glimpse of what was to come in Anna and the French Kiss when Isla confessed her love for Josh to Anna.

One of the things I loved the most was that there wasn't really a love triangle. It was just about these two people who had admired each other from afar for too long and were just too insecure about their feelings. It was great to see their relationship grow and how fast they fell for each other. Honorable mentions to the Barcelona scenes. :)

While reading, I remember thinking to myself "All books have some type of drama, what on earth could cause these two to break up?". By the time everything went down I was just an absolute mess. I didn't see how everything could end nicely and let us revisit Anna & Etienne and Lola & Cricket. Stephanie Perkins did a great job with wrapping everything up nicely and it was flawless. I loved seeing the other characters again and think the way their stories ended were wonderful. Especially the little bit about Calliope.

All three stories were so special and this is one of the best series I have ever read. I finished the book in a day and I was so sad when it was over. Stephanie Perkins will always be one of my favorite authors for this series alone but I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!

Review | The Heiresses

The Heiresses (#1) by Sara Shepard
May 2014 from Harper
320 pages
Three stars

"You know the Saybrooks. Everyone does. Perhaps you’ve read a profile of them in People or have seen their pictures in the society pages of Vogue. Perhaps while walking along that choice block on Fifth Avenue, you’ve been tempted to enter the ornate limestone building with their family name etched into the pediment above the door.

The only thing more flawless than a Saybrook’s diamond solitaire is the family behind the jewelry empire. Beauties, entrepreneurs, debutantes, and style mavens, they are the epitome of New York City’s high society. But being a Saybrook comes at a price—they are heirs not only to a dizzying fortune but also to a decades-old family curse.

Tragedy strikes the prominent family yet again when thirty-four-year-old Poppy, the most exquisite Saybrook of them all, flings herself from the window of her TriBeCa office. Everyone is shocked that a woman who had it all would end her own life. Then her cousins receive an ominous threat: one heiress down, four to go.

Was it suicide... or murder? In the aftermath of the tragedy, the remaining heiresses—Corinne, the perfectionist; Rowan, the workaholic; Aster, the hedonist; and Natasha, the enigma—wrestle with feelings of sadness, guilt, and, most of all, fear. Now they must uncover the truth about their family before they lose the only thing money can’t buy: their lives.

The Heiresses is a whip-smart mystery that simmers with the wicked sense of humor and intrigue that made Sara Shepard’s number one New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series a must-read, must-watch phenomenon." -Goodreads


I would give The Heiresses a solid three stars. It was much slower to start than other books by Sara Shepard that I have read. When reading both the Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game series, I was hooked within pages. Even though I was so excited to read this book, it fell a little flat or me. I didn't find myself engrossed in the story until about halfway through the book. To be fair, I have been going through a reading slump and I just don't think this was the book to pull me out of it. I had started reading it twice before I actually sat down to read and finish the book. I just couldn't get myself to sit down and pay attention when I had other books I wanted to read.

While I liked the characters and had no major problems with them, most of them blurred together. After a while, I couldn't keep track with whose story line was whose. I really liked Corrine and I thought she was one of the stronger characters. I found myself sympathizing with her the most. Rowan and Aster's storylines blurred together to much or me and I couldn't keep track of Natasha at all. I think that was more so my fault as a reader, than Sara's writing. 

I was thoroughly surprised by the plot twist and did not predict it. As with all Sara Shepard books, I think it was executed well. I enjoyed the roller coaster of figuring out who was the bad guy. I am really happy that there was a resolution to the main mystery in this book.There was a lot of mystery in The Heiresses, much more than I expected. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't say any more about that. 

I am very excited to read the next book in the series. I think now that I am interested in the storyline, the rest of the series will flow much better. By the end of the book, I was connected to all the characters and wanted to know more about them.

Overall, I would still recommend The Heiresses by Sara Shepard. It was a fun quick read that is filled with mystery and suspense.

Top 5 | Goosebump Books

R.L. Stine will always be one of my favorite authors. I fell in love with his books from an early age. I think it's safe to say I wouldn't be the person I am today without his influence. R.L. Stine was one of the first authors who made me care about reading. Throughout elementary school my teachers had a hard time getting to me read the books I was assigned, but I spent my summers with my head in Goosebumps books. The following books were some of my favorites.

One Day At Horrorland was one of the first Goosebumps books I owned and I immediately fell in love with it. R.L. Stine is so good at turning something that should make you excited, into something that you fear. 

Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes created one of my most unrealistic fears. At 23 years old, I'm still afraid to own lawn gnomes. Not because they are hideous mind you, but because I'm afraid that they will come to life at not. Okay, maybe not really but I don't trust them.

The Barking Ghost will always be my favorite Goosebumps book. HANDS DOWN. I will reread this book over and over each Halloween because I love it so much. The thing that always stuck with me is how hard I laughed at the ending. It's something so simple but I remember honestly laughing out loud the first time I read it. For months, I would just pick up the book and read the last chapter. I just couldn't get enough of it!

The Beast from the East was a book I didn't discover until much later. I loved the world of this book. I already don't like the woods, but this made me want to get as far away from them as possible.

Calling All Creeps is the perfect example of what happens when you pull a prank on someone in the world of R.L. Stine. I was never much a prank puller so this book was perfect to let my imagination run wild. 

Bonus: Secret Agent Grandma was one of my favorite books in the Give Yourself Goosebumps series. The concept is just so funny to me.











R.L. Stine is one of those authors that will stay with me forever. I will always be interested in reading his new material because I've loved so much of it already. I was really excited to hear that both the Goosebumps and Fear Street series we're coming back for new material. You can read an interview he did about his newest book in the Fear Street series here. 

What books were your favorites from the Goosebumps series?