Thanks to Penguin for sending me this to review because I don't think I would have picked it up otherwise. I'm not usually a massive fan of books told by a male perspective, I just don't usually find the book relatable, however this is a big exception. I found this book to be not only beautifully written, but also realistic as any first love is.

"John Green meets Rainbow Rowell in this irresistible story of first love, broken hearts, and the golden seams that put them back together again.
 
Henry Page has never been in love. He fancies himself a hopeless romantic, but the slo-mo, heart palpitating, can't-eat-can't-sleep kind of love that he's been hoping for just hasn't been in the cards for him—at least not yet. Instead, he's been happy to focus on his grades, on getting into a semi-decent college and finally becoming editor of his school newspaper. Then Grace Town walks into his first period class on the third Tuesday of senior year and he knows everything's about to change.
 
Grace isn't who Henry pictured as his dream girl—she walks with a cane, wears oversized boys' clothes, and rarely seems to shower. But when Grace and Henry are both chosen to edit the school paper, he quickly finds himself falling for her. It's obvious there's something broken about Grace, but it seems to make her even more beautiful to Henry, and he wants nothing more than to help her put the pieces back together again. And yet, this isn't your average story of boy meets girl. Krystal Sutherland's brilliant debut is equal parts wit and heartbreak, a potent reminder of the bittersweet bliss that is first love." - Goodreads


CHARACTERS: The main character, and narrator, Henry is a great perspective to read from and I found him quite relatable. He is young and falling in love for the first time and I found it beautiful to read his words during what is a tough time for him. I love Henry's open mind and willingness to let anyone into his world, including Grace who can be difficult at times.
Grace is an interesting character to read about, yet I loved how we found out more about her and her past as the story unfolded. She has obviously been through a lot over the last year as we learn, and although this has affected her a lot, she still acts as a fun and bubbly character, especially when she is around Henry. Henry allows Grace to open up and I loved reading about their relationship and it's ups and downs throughout the book. It was a realistic romance and that's what I loved about it.

PLOT/STORY LINE: Although there were a lot of ups and downs in the story line such as Henry and Grace's relationship, discovering Grace's past, and Henry growing up and falling in love for the first time, the overall story line was pretty simple. It was easy to follow and I didn't feel bombarded with a whole lot of drama and story. Sutherland did a beautiful job telling the story of Henry both in her writing style, character development, and the events that occurred throughout the book. I didn't find anything predictable and the book was such a page turner - I managed to finish it in two days which surprised me considering I've been in a bit of a reading slump for a few weeks. Our Chemical Hearts definitely brought me out of that and I am back in the reading world once again.

ENDING: Yes... the ending was emotional and somewhat tragic, but it was realistic and that's what I loved most about it. I read the very last page of the book and felt shivers up my spine and goose bumps on my arms. It was sad and beautiful and relatable and realistic and everything it should have been. It wrapped up the book perfectly and represented the story of real first loves.

RATING: I have decided to give this book a perfect 5 stars. The characters were beautifully written and I loved reading from Henry's perspective, the plot kept me on my toes, and the ending gave me chills. I didn't expect such a great reading experience considering it was an arc that was sent to me that I have never heard about before. But I am so glad that I picked it up and I hope that everyone else decides to do the same.

I will be meeting the author at a Dymock's event on Wednesday and I cannot wait! A blog post will be up soon.

Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy to review! If you're subscribed to my YouTube channel (youtube.com/readbooksread), then you probably know my feelings towards the Throne of Glass series. I marathoned the first four books and the novella in January this year; I loved ToG, liked CoM, but HoF and QoS were a bit of a let down for me. I had tor read a summary of QoS before starting EoS because I was completely confused with how it ended. After briefly refreshing my mind I picked the new release up and managed to finish it in five days!

"The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?" - Goodreads


CHARACTERS: 
Despite my minor disliking towards Celaena/Aelin in the past, she began to grow on me throughout EoS which was good. I think one of the reasons I found it so hard to read HoF and QoS was because she started to annoy me a bit. But this definitely changed throughout the book which made it a lot more enjoyable to read.
Dorian has been my favourite character throughout the whole series. ToG is my favourite from the series because he was with Celaena and they are my OTP in the series. Even though they didn't get together like I hoped they would in the book, I loved how we still got a lot from his character in this book. I enjoyed his story line with Manon and seeing where that went, and also his connection with Aelin and Rowan.
I could not stand Rowan in the last book because he was getting in the way of my OTP. However, as I began to accept the fact that Dorian and Aelin are not getting together anytime soon, I grew to like Rowan and his relationship with Aelin.

STORY LINE:
I'm going to say this now; I'm still not 100% sure what actually went down in the book or the last two books either. I found myself confused a lot, and maybe that's because I found the last two books boring that I didn't pay complete attention to them. So yeah...
However, I did manage to pick up on a majority of the main story lines and mostly understood them. I found EoS a lot more interesting and intense than I found the previous two books. There was so much happening and so many characters dealing with different things that I was always excited to pick up the book each day.
I've read through a lot of reviews of people saying they cried, but the book didn't have that emotional impact on me. I enjoyed it and preferred it a lot more than HoF especially. However, for me personally it doesn't beat Throne of Glass.

ENDING:
I found the ending really intense, and I actually enjoyed it. I'm not a massive fan of cliff hangers and I hate how I have to wait another year to find out what's going to happen. But I did like that the pace of the book picked up and I couldn't wait to see how it ends. I also can't wait to read the next book!

RATING:
Overall, I decided to give this book 4 stars out of 5. Like I said, I loved reading about the three characters I mentioned and I enjoyed the ending. However, I still haven't been able to wrap my head around the plot. If I ever have some spare time (which will probably be never) I would love to reread the series to see if I could understand them better a second time around.


Comment below what your thoughts are on Empire of Storms :)

Thanks to Hoddler for sending me this to review. The concept of this book sounded really interesting and I couldn't wait to pick it up. A month later I finally got around to it, and I found it absolutely beautiful. Here's what I thought;

"Seventeen-year-old Maddie O'Neill Levine's grandmother is a young-at-heart socialite who has always been Maddie's go-to confidante. Although Maddie and the rest of her family have learned to expect the unexpected from their matriarch, Gram still manages to shock them all when she announces that she has booked the O'Neill clan on a secret death-with-dignity ship called the Wishwell; Gram has terminal cancer and is determined to leave the world in her own way--and give her family an unforgettable summer of dreams-come-true in the process.

Soon, Maddie is on the trip of a lifetime with her wacky family. Aboard the ship, Maddie bonds with other Wishwellians and falls for Enzo, the son of the ship's owner, as they travel the globe. But despite the copious laugher, headiness of first love, and wonder of the glamorous destinations, Maddie knows she is on the brink of losing Gram, and she struggles to find the strength to let go in a whirlwind summer shaped by love, grief, and the power of forgiveness" - Goodreads


CHARACTERS: There was such a wide range of different characters in this book which I loved. The main character, Maddie, went through a lot of ups and downs and I loved reading about how she handled each situation. She is young and free and I love reading about characters this age. She is dealing with the news her grandmother gave her, falling in love for the first time, and all the usual 'going on eighteen' stuff.
Enzo is an absolute babe! He was charming and funny and really brought out the best in Maddie. I would read a book that was just about him.
Gram is hilarious and would have to be my favourite character in the book. She is old on the outside, but still young at heart. I found myself laughing out loud while reading this on the bus because some of the things she said or ways she acted was hilarious.

STORY LINE / PLOT: Like I said at the beginning, I found the story concept really interesting and different, and I don't think I've ever heard about a book with a story line like this before. Although it may be a bit controversial, I found it really interesting. I also loved how there was always something exciting happening which kept me on my toes and made it a really interesting read. I've been on a slight reading slump lately, but I managed to finish this book in just over two days. I had to force myself to shut the book at night so I could get some sleep!
I loved how it focused not only on Maddie's romantic relationship with Enzo, but also her relationship with her Gram, other passengers on the ship, her other family members, and the life she left behind for the summer.

ENDING: Although the ending was emotional along with other parts throughout the book, I also found it beautiful. It finished with an open ending left to the readers interpretation, which I don't usually like, however I found that Firestone did an good job at it. I closed the book feeling satisfied with how the events concluded - and I think that can sometimes be the most important aspect of a good book.

RATING: I decided to give this book 4.5 stars out of 5 and I highly recommend picking this up if it interest you. I can guarantee you that you won't be dissapointed.


CHECK 'THE LOOSE ENDS LIST' OUT ON:
Goodreads; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29756048-the-loose-ends-list
Dymocks: https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/loose-ends-list-by-carrie-firestone-9781444929362/#.V9Iudfl97IU
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/Loose-Ends-List-Carrie-Firestone-ebook/dp/B014SVDSCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473392268&sr=8-1&keywords=the+loose+ends+list

August was a busy month for me - I was less active on my blog and didn't get as much reading done due to the heavy load of uni assignments I had. I still managed to squeeze in seven books this month which I was proud of. Here's what I read in order;

Girl Under Water by Nat Luurtsema
-I found this book was definitely directed to a younger audience; the writing style and story line was simple and the main character was fifteen (I think). However, I still enjoyed it overall and would recommend it to younger readers.
Thanks to Walker Books for sending me this to review.
-3.5 stars
Review: http://gabbytheblogger.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/girl-out-of-water-nat-luurtsema.html

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by RK Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne
-Despite the mixed reviews I've seen around the booktube community, I loved this book. I've never been a massive HP fan, and only read the books and watched the movies at the end of last year, so I haven't been waiting seven years for this story. I loved the story idea and how it revolved around Goblet of Fire, and I also loved the characters that were involved.
-5 stars

The Fall of Butterflies by Andrea Portes
-I feel like this book had a lot of potential; the story line was interesting and talked about a lot of interesting topics that I would love to read more about. However, I feel like not enough was done to make this book great. It was a good read and I did like that it focused on the individual and her friendship rather than romance, but I didn't grow a connection to the characters which I think is an important aspect of loving a book.
Thanks to Harper Collins for sending me this to review.
-3.5 stars
Review: http://gabbytheblogger.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/the-fall-of-butterflies-andrea-portes.html

Falling by Jane Green
-This is an adult fiction/ chic-lit, which I enjoy most of the time, however this just didn't do it for me. I felt like I was just reading the motions of what the main character was doing, rather than an intriguing story that included development and heights. I didn't have an interest in the story until the ending which definitely woke me up.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending me this to review.
-3 stars
Review: http://gabbytheblogger.blogspot.com.au/2016/08/falling-jane-green.html

City of Lost Souls & City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
-I finally finished the amazing TMI series. CoLS would have to be my favourite in the whole series as I was most interested in the story going on and loved how it revolved mainly around Clary, Jace and Sebastian. I still loved CoHF and the ending was beautiful, however the I didn't love the overall plot of the book.
-5 stars
-Vlog of me finishing the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-yUy6U4Y

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
-This was my classic for the month and I would have to say that it is one of the best classics I've read this year. I read it in one sitting on the bus and absolutely loved it even though it's a children's classic. I've never been a massive fan of the movie, I actually couldn't remember it since I haven't seen it in years, so I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did.
-5 stars

Running Like China by Sophie Hardcastle
-This was the best book I read this month and one of the best books I've read this year (maybe even ever!). This is Sophie's memoir as she talks about her struggle with mental illness both as a teenager and still today. I found this book so inspiring and highly recommend those who are struggling with mental health to pick this amazing book up.
-5 stars

So that was my August wrap up. You can also check my YouTube video here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xHP6ZVMwPY

Let me know what books you read this month down below!

Thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy for review. I don't often read adult fiction/ chick lit, but when I do I usually enjoy it (i.e. Nicholas Sparks). Even though I was looking forward to see what this book was about, I didn't have high expectations.

'When Emma Montague left the strict confines of upper-crust British life for New York, she felt sure it would make her happy. Away from her parents and expectations, she felt liberated, throwing herself into Manhattan life replete with a high-paying job, a gorgeous apartment, and a string of successful boyfriends. But the cutthroat world of finance and relentless pursuit of more began to take its toll. This wasn’t the life she wanted either. 
 On the move again, Emma settles in the picturesque waterfront town of Westport, Connecticut, a world apart from both England and Manhattan. It is here that she begins to confront what it is she really wants from her life. With no job, and knowing only one person in town, she channels her passion for creating beautiful spaces into remaking the dilapidated cottage she rents from Dominic, a local handyman who lives next door with his six-year-old son. 
 Unlike any man Emma has ever known, Dominic is confident, grounded, and committed to being present for his son whose mother fled shortly after he was born. They become friends, and slowly much more, as Emma finds herself feeling at home in a way she never has before.
 But just as they start to imagine a life together as a family, fate intervenes in the most shocking of ways. For the first time, Emma has to stay and fight for what she loves, for the truth she has discovered about herself, or risk losing it all. ' - Goodreads

CHARACTERS: The main character, Emma, I actually enjoyed reading about and learning her story from her perspective. She goes through a lot of transitions in her life before the book begins and throughout and I loved reading about her. She is a likeable person and character which made the book easier to read. Emma's love interest and landlord, Dominic, is also a great guy. He is a hard worker and a single father, and seeing his relationship with his son is quite touching. I liked the relationship between these two characters and seeing it transition and develop throughout the book.

PLOT / STORY LINE: The overall plot was a bit of a down fall for me. I felt like nothing much really happened throughout the book. Things happened in the beginning, and there was a major rise in the plot at the end of the book, but the middle I found a little bit boring. I felt like we as the readers were simply going through the motions of Emma and Dominic's relationship but nothing exciting was happening. At the beginning I was really intrigued with the story line and expected dramatic and exciting things to happen, but I was disappointed to find that nothing changed until the last 50 pages.

ENDING: I liked the emotion that the ending brought. It was sad and a complete comparison to the mood that I felt throughout the rest of the book. I also liked how the epilogue wrapped up everything nicely so that the readers weren't left hanging. However, I felt like the big thing that happened in the end (no spoilers) happened so suddenly that I wasn't able to process it. I felt like it could have happened earlier and the aftermath of the event could have been lengthened slightly.

RATING: Overall I decided to give this book 3 stars out of 5. I liked the characters and enjoyed reading from their perspective, however the overall story line was a bit of a let down. If you are a fan of adult fiction romance and chick lit, maybe pick it up for yourself and see what you think.

Thanks to Harper Collins for sending me a copy of the book for review. Considering it is a YA contemporary, it's a bit on the lengthy side so it took me over a week to read, however I still enjoyed it as a whole. Here are my thoughts.

'Willa Parker, 646th and least popular resident of What Cheer, Iowa, is headed east to start a new life.
Did she choose this new life? No, because that would be too easy—and nothing in Willa’s life is easy. It’s her famous genius mother’s idea to send her to ultra-expensive, ultra-exclusive Pembroke Prep, and it’s only the strength of her name that got Willa accepted in the first place.
But Willa has no intentions of fitting in at Pembroke. She’s not staying long, she decides. Not at this school—and not on this planet. But when she meets peculiar, glittering Remy Taft, the richest, most mysterious girl on campus, she starts to see a foothold in this foreign world—a place where she could maybe, possibly, sort of fit.
When Willa looks at Remy, she sees a girl who has everything. But for Remy, having everything comes at a price. And as she spirals out of control, Willa can feel her spinning right out of her grasp.
In Willa’s secret heart, all she’s ever wanted is to belong. But if Remy, the girl who gave her this world, is slip-sliding away, is Willa meant to follow her down?' - Goodreads

CHARACTERS: Willa's character and reading the book from her perspective would probably have to be my favourite aspect of the book. I think that she is one of the most relateable characters I've read about in a YA contemporary, not just to myself but I think a lot of teenage girls. She goes through a lot of ups-and-downs throughout the book and I loved being able to witness her development by the end of the story.

Remy is almost the opposite to Willa, and I loved being able to see the comparisons between the two. They balance eachother out and I think that is a great quality in a friendship. I loved the connection between Remy and Willa, and a majority of the book revolved around their friendship and how they were both able to influence each other in different ways. 

PLOT / STORY LINE: I found the story line okay. It was simple, included a different range of emotions, and focused on friendship as it's main point. I also liked that it was realistic which can sometimes be difficult to find in YA books. However, I didn't find the plot exciting and at times I was a little bit bored. I think that maybe it was longer than it needed to be. Although I think that the characters made up for it.

ENDING: Although I think the ending was quite abrupt, I liked the realness of it. It wasn't your typical YA contemporary ending, and instead it was realistic which I liked.

RATING: Overall I decided to rate this book 3 stars out of 5. I recommend this book to readers who love realistic contemporaries.

Check this book out on;

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26116452-the-fall-of-butterflies

Dymocks: https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-fall-of-butterflies-by-andrea-portes-9780062313676/

Amazon; https://www.amazon.com.au/The-Fall-of-Butterflies/dp/B01BACAHRC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470891217&sr=8-1&keywords=the+fall+of+butterflies

Thanks to Walker Books for sending me a copy of Girl Out Of Water for review. I picked it up over the weekend and read it in a few days. Here's what I thought;

'A thoroughly British teen comedy starring a hilariously flawed heroine with a quip for every occasion - perfect for fans of Holly Smale, Rae Earl and Jenny MacLachlan. Lou Brown's life is going down the pan. Best friend Hannah sailed through the Olympic time trials and is off to her fancy-pants new swim training school, while Lou's own failure to qualify leaves her without a hobby - or a friend. As Lou tries to navigate her post-swim world, a chance encounter with three boys with stars in their eyes takes her life in a surprising new direction. One that leads to a crazy world of underwater somersaults, talent show auditions, bitchy girls and one great big load of awkward boy chat.' - Goodreads


CHARACTERS: The characters in this book would have to probably be my favourite part of the story. The main character, Lou, is a bit of an outcast, and when her only friend leaves her school, Lou realises this for the first time and feels like more of a loner than ever. However, this doesn't stop her from being true to herself. She is full of life, laughter, fun, and energy, and that's what I love most about her.
The boys; Gabe, Pete and Roman were also really great characters and definitely affected how the readers viewed Lou. All three of them are all about having fun and having a good laugh. The way that they didn't care about Lou's 'status' also made them really sweet.
Lou's family, her mum, dad and sister Lavender, were really interesting. I liked the family relations aspect of the book as it was very different. Lou's parents are divorced yet still live together since her dad lost his job. Lou and her sister are complete opposites, yet they still get along and love each other.

PLOT / STORY LINE: The plot overall was easy to follow, light hearted, and overall a cute read. Although the simplicity of the story was nice as it made the book a quick read, it made the story not as satisfying or exciting. Not too much happened in the book which meant that I was not able to feel overall interested in the story line, However, if you are looking for a quick and simple read, then this is the perfect book for it. The story may be more interesting to younger readers.

ENDING: I really enjoyed the ending, and it definitely made up for the plot. Everything that I wanted to happen happened, yet not all of it was predictable. The humour of the book remained until the end, and so did Lou's clumsiness. I was satisfied with how the book ended as it wrapped up everything nicely, and I was left happy with the overall book.

RATING: Overall, I decided to give the book 4 stars out of 5. I really loved the characters and I enjoyed the ending. However, me being an older reader of YA, the story line was maybe a bit too simple for my liking. I recommend picking this book up if you are looking for a simple and funny YA read.

CHECK THE BOOK OUT:
Goodreads; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28513482-girl-out-of-water?ac=1&from_search=true
Dymocks: https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/girl-out-of-water-9781406371406/#.V6BNNPl97IU
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/Girl-Out-Water-Nat-Luurtsema-ebook/dp/B01CNWXHUW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470123331&sr=8-1&keywords=girl+out+of+water