Bookish Amy Leigh

Blind by Rachel DeWoskin My rating: 4 of 5 stars This YA contemporary was fantasic! I couldn't put it down. The author wrote it in such a way that I didn't want to put it down because I needed to know what happened next. I loved Emma's character and her siblings, especially her twin older sisters. I really felt like I was walking next to Emma as she went through everything. Emma has been is an accident and lost her sight. After spending a year at the braile school learning to live all over again, she returns to her regular high school. She knew everything would change and things would be different she just didnt realize how much. Right before school starts back a girl from her grade washed up dead locally. Emma finds herself consumed with trying to figure out why the girl's death was considered accidental. Did she actually kill herself? Did someone else kill her? Did she trip and drown? The author really portrayed the difficulties wit

The Spy with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this book just as much as the first in this series! They read in a way that if you read them out of order you would be okay but I don't recommend missing either book. The way the author intertwines magic and history into a ya fantasy novel is brilliant. Ilse and Wolf are siblings with a special type of magic that comes from their blood. This is World War II and they are both tricked into using their magic for the war. Wolf is a spy working on the Germans to try to keep Nazi Germany from being able to succeed with nuclear weaponry. Ilse is actually working with Americans to help further the Atom bomb along. Ilse cant bear not knowing if her brother is okay and sends him letters that he holds dear. Wolf has a flying incident and Ilse's letters are found. She has to prove she isn't a traitor in a time period of great war and distrust. ​Thank you to Edel

Body Swap by Sylvia McNicoll My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book was a real treat. It's a comedic contemporary with a heartfelt emotional relationship between an elderly woman and a teenager. It has some great lessons in humility, respecting the elderly, the positives and negatives of technology and even crossing racial divides. I highly recommend this novel for a good emotional read! Hallie is completely nervous. The guy she has been crushing on is at the mall. She and her friend Addy just arrived and she's discover a huge zit on her forehead. All she can think about is finding out what Khael said about her while texting her friend when she gets hit by a car in the parking deck and dies. She finds herself at a wonderful carnival and Eli leads her to the rollercoaster. She knows once she rides this there is no coming back and she's never even been kissed! She says she doesn't want to ride alone and waits. Susan appears along side Hallie

The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was amazing! I love the way time travel worked with the rich emotional and historical journey the author takes you on. The world building was great and the author definitely did her research. The character building was done really well especially for the time period the book is set in. I felt like I was there to witness history. I highly recommend! Jewish American high school student Ellie Baum has left Pittsburgh and arrived in Germany for a spring break trip with her German Language class. Ellie thinks this trip will give her an excuse to practice German and give her perks for her college applications. Her Saba, a Holocaust survivor, didn't want her to go and she doesn't completely understand why but she will. "We are strange, sometimes, in the ways we choose to bear witness" When her friend Amanda wants to go flirt with a boy by the Berlin Wall Me

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was a fun read! I have really enjoyed everything I've read by Morgan Matson so far. The characters are very believeable and Clark was too cute. I loved how much influence the dogs in her dog walking job took on in the story. We need more books with animals being important characters. This was a great book about different types relationships like family, friendship, and romantic but the main focus is friendship. I would definitely re-read this book. Andie is seventeen years old. She has serious plans this summer and want to start a pre-med internship. Everything is set, until it all falls apart. There is a scandal with her congressman father and her letter of recommendation is taken away. She decides to get a job and focus on making herself happy. She spends a lot of time with her close friends and gets a job walking dogs. Her job introduces her to Clark, a very handsome guy b

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was a quick read but a feel good adorable ya contemporary that I may re-read just because. After reading Alex,Approximately I knew I had found a new auto read author. This book did not let me down at all! I loved the romance and awkwardness and everything about it. I highly recommend this to ya contemporary romance fans and invite you to fall in love! Zorie is an astronomy geek with future plans to work at NASA. For now, she is working part time at her parent's wellness clinic as a receptionist. Her step-mom, Joy, is determined to get her and her ex best friend Reagan back together (even though Reagan tossed her aside for the rich and popular crowd) and collaborates with Reagan's mom to have Zorie invited to Reagan's glamping trip. It just so happens to be the same week as a meteor shower trip with her astronomy club that Zorie does not want to miss. While at work her step mom asks

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was beautifully written. No weak damsel in distress MC with Celaena Sardothien at the reins. Celaena is an assassin and one of the most notorious at that, but she was captured and sentenced to serve out her days in a salt mine prison camp. Until the day Prince Dorian and Captain of the Guard Chaol Westfall come to claim her as the prince's champion. If she becomes his champion she fights in a competition to become the king's champion and after fulfilling a four year contact, gains her freedom. Since her only other option is staying in the salt mines she accepts. The competition is brilliant and Celaena makes several friends with her new fake identity as Lady Lillian, a jewel thief. Magic was banned long ago by Dorian's father but Celaena feels like it was wrong to do and wants nothing to do with this monsterous king who has killed thousands of innocent people. Her hope of

The Mayflower Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a Young Adult/Christian/Historical Fiction novel about the voyage of The Mayflower. This is about the separatists who wanted refuge from religious persecution and sought that in the New World. The MC, Mary, and her family were chosen to be on the first voyage after failed attempts with the Speedwell. She's not happy about this and it takes a lot of looking within to be brave and have faith on her journey. She meets William, a carpenter, who doesn't share her beliefs but wanted a fresh start and their friendship forms quickly. The historical aspect of this book is great. It really portrays the death, disease, starvation, and rough sea the history books tell you about with the first voyage. There is a ton of scripture because they are puritans. It comes across as very natural because of their beliefs. I think it would have to take a lot of faith and praying to get throug

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved this book so much! It's so beautifully written and the characters are developed so well. The plot is explosive and twists so fast you don't see it coming. This is a book I know I'll be coming back to re-read and I can't wait to grab my own copy for my bookshelf since I'm of course not gonna keep the library's copy. This book is at the top of my "books to buy" list. Lia is a princess being forced to marry for politics. She's always lived a life of duty but when it came to marrying someone she didn't know to appease her parents when it doesn't even make sense she stays strong and says no. I decide, it's my life and I want to marry for love. Her betrothed couldn't even be bothered to meet her before their wedding which just helped Lia with her decision even more. Her friend Pauline helps her run away on her wedding day as true f

Olympian Challenger by Astrid Arditi My rating: 4 of 5 stars 3.5 stars I saw the cover for this and immediately went to read the blurb. I was sold. Greek mythology, young adult, fantasy! All things I love so I dove in. I really enjoyed this book but I there are things I wish had more depth, like some of the other characters. Their backstories seem important but left to the imagination. Hope takes care of her mom who suffers with failing health from dementia. Hope is slowly and agonizingly losing her mom. She gets and invitation to go to NYC and takes it. This seems a little off to me because anyone who has a family member with dementia knows you shouldn't leave them alone. The thing that entices her is if she goes and enters this competition she could win a wish. She of course goes and is transported to Mount Olympus for the tournament. There are some familiar things with the completion and Hunger Games but I still enjoyed it anyway. The exciteme

Our Dark Stars by Audrey Grey My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this sci-fi space young adult adventure. It kind of felt like a fairy tale retelling, set in space that straddles the young adult/new adult genre line with royal intrigue and betrayal. The cover is so freakin gorgeous! Talia is a princess and next in line for the throne. She is everything you expect from a princess stereotype. She is entitled, adored, pampered. So when her grandmother tells her what she expects from her Talia does something rash. She betrays her best friend Ailat, an android/Mock who has been by Talia's side her whole life. Ailat takes revenge and Talia is put into a coffin and sent floating in space. The reign of humans is over. Will is half human and half android/Mock. He is on the space crew that finds Talia's coffin a hundred years later. Possibly a Sleeping Beauty moment? He thinks he may be able to use Talia for his own personal gain and manipulates

The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer My rating: 5 of 5 stars I adored this book! Old Scotland mixed with Fae and war. Two brothers that know nothing of each other and bond. It was an epic fantasy and I just want more! Aric is seventeen and heir to the throne of the kingdom of Calidon. His father has taken ill and seems to grow sicker everyday. The cause seems to be an enchanted ring that no one can remove and things look bad for the king. Just when hope seems lost a Fae sprints in and removes the ring saving the king's life. His health steadily returns and everything Aria thought he knew was wrong. Albaric is the son of the Queen of Elfland and Aric's half brother. When he saves his father from death he is surprised to find his father has forgotten all about him and he has a half brother that is human. He stays, trying to rebound with his father and get to know this brother as war looms over them. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book wasn't what I expected in a good way. The monsters are super creepy and this book is about relationships but not romance! I am not saying I don't enjoy romance in books because I do but it was refreshing that this book didn't include it. The setting had a very Romeo and Juliet feel with the feuding and battles but obviously that's really the only thing they have in common. This book takes place in a dark and gritty town where humans commit violence and create monsters of various sorts. August is a rare monster who lures people with his beautiful violin music and feeds on their souls. Kate is the daughter of a crime boss and when the two meet they must decide if they are friends or enemies. August was my favorite of the two and I'm not sure if it's because of everything he deals with or if I just didn't care as much for Kate but I am so glad I had the seq

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is one of my favorite books so far this year! Eelyn is an amazing heroine and this book is so full of culture. Who doesn't love Vikings? The pacing is perfect and I loved all of the characters. The world building is gorgeous and the plot, I was holding my breath at the end. Eelyn lost her family in a clan war five years ago. She has used this pain to become a better and stronger warrior until the day she is taken captive by the other clan. She is forced to do things that she wouldn't normally do as a slave. The whole time she is contemplating her escape and her revenge. I don't want to say much more and spoil this book but I highly recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Robin by Dave Itzkoff My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book will be released on May 15, 2018. When I got approved for an advanced copy I was ecstatic. I was also nervous that maybe the author won't do the man justice but that thankfully was not the case. This book is so thoroughly researched with a lot of cooperation from his family and friends. The author doesn't judge or take jabs at Robin but lays out the facts and lets you form your own opinions without being pushy. It would be an understatement to say I got lost in this book. It was as engrossing as watching Robin perform. Robin Williams was not a perfect man. He had doubt and insecurities and health problems. He was upfront about his many addictions and got help. He was sober when he passed away by his own hand. He had an undiagnosed brain disease that may have caused him to take his own life without ever knowing he was doing so. Again my heart broke all over again. Robin Williams was dispu

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen My rating: 4 of 5 stars I loved how this book scaled up the story from the first book instead of having middle book syndrome. There is some romance but it's hardly there. Kelsea has become a beloved Queen and has inevitably crossed the Red Queen. She wants nothing more than to destroy Kelsea and steal her sapphires for herself for their magical properties. While Kelsea is a good queen and uses her magic with good intentions, the Red Queen deals in blood magic. Very dark and grim stuff. Now she wants war. Kelsea continues to have visions only now she has figured out that they are about a girl named Lily from pre-conceived America. She has a hard life even though she has married well by society's standards. Her husband is cruel and abusive and things only seem to get worse for Lily. Kelsea already has enough to worry about but the High Priest has it out for her too. He is vile and I kept waiting fo

Fawkes by Nadine Brandes My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is an incredible blend of fantasy and historical fiction! There's people who wear masks and control the color that coincides with their mask. Pretty original! There's assassination attempts and a magical plague. The world building was so unique and I loved the twists to the real historical event. I enjoyed this book so much! Thomas is Guy Fawkes son and his father is relentlessly trying to get him to join his gunpowder plot. If you remember historically, Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot were real. The stone plague was not. Thomas has contracted the stone plague and he is desperately hoping to find a cure but keeps being distracted by the things unfolding around him. Will he join his father or fight against him? Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. View all my reviews

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor My rating: 5 of 5 stars This series is so dark and wonderful. I love where the last book left off because I had to go straight into book two and it did not disappoint. This series is about war so its gritty and filled with gore. The story feels so different though. The world is entrancing and I am so glad there is more and this book is not the end! Karou finally got what she wanted. She knows what she is and she knows what she has to do. She's taken over for Brimstone and is running the shop but to what end? Can she forgive herself? What will Zuzanna think if she finds out? Akiva is out fighting in the war between Seraphs and Chimaera. He thinks Karou is dead and when he finds out the truth what lengths will he go to? I just got the third book from my library and I can't wait to see what happens! View all my reviews

Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book made me cry and want to throw it at the wall. The story continues from This Savage Song and this time it reminded me a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spin off show Angel. The ending killed me though. I'm still so glad I read this duology. It was full of loss and twists and I just found myself lost in this world again. Kate is now living in Prosperity hunting monsters with a crew that helps her. Kinda like Buffy. August is living in Verity with his own crew also taking out monsters. Kinda like Angel. They both thought they would never see each other again but that all changes when they find themselves hunting down the same monster. View all my reviews

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen My rating: 5 of 5 stars I LOVED this book so much I kept reading and kept reading until I was done with the whole trilogy. This book isn't about a romance with a girl needing to rule on the sideline. There is no romance! This is purely about a girl and her destiny to reign and her journey to get there. I read this from the library and now I need my own copy! Kelsea has always known when she turns nineteen she will be taken by the Queen's guard and be taken to her mother's kingdom palace to take over and rule. She was taken from her mother at a young age and sent to live with two caretakers. One teaches her about the outside world and the other gives her an education and teaches her about palace etiquette. She has a special teardrop necklace that signifies her as royalty and she protects it since it's so precious. Little does Kelsea know, her mother died long ago and her uncle has been ruling

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was the perfect ending to this trilogy. It's very realistic instead of a happy ending just to make people happy. I loved how much Kelsea grew and really made this series shine! The Red Queen has declared war on Queen Kelsea's kingdom. To avoid it all she names her head of guard, Mace to be Regent and gives the Red Queen her jewels and surrenders herself! I didn't see most of what happens in this book coming but there's so many intricate working parts and I found that the ending was justified even though many people won't like it. Kelsea figures out her visions and tries her hardest not to let the past repeat itself in this dystopian world. The way she deals with everything is very mature and she is a strong female main character. There is so much more and I don't want to spoil the book but it is intense! Mace does go to extraneous lengths to get Queen Kels

Coraline by Neil Gaiman My rating: 4 of 5 stars If I had read this, even at nine (the youngest recommended age), I would have had nightmares for days. This book is extra creepy and dark. The squirmy feeling it gave me reminded me of when I read Clive Barker's 'The Thief of Always' for the first time. Coraline has just moved to a giant old house made up of several flats. The downstairs neighbors are two elderly women who used to be performers. The man upstairs seems a little crazy, talking about acrobatic musical mice. Coraline's parents don't pay her much attention as they work constantly at their computers. She decides to go exploring and finds something that wanted her to find it. Something that seems too good to be true. View all my reviews

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick My rating: 5 of 5 stars This has been my favorite so far of the series. So much happens and theres a big change with Nora and she seems so much more like-able. I loved the twists in this one and how every book has that great "Veronica Mars" feel to it. I will definitely be finishing this series! Nora wakes up to find out she's been kidnapped the last three months but it has left her with amnesia that goes back five months. Her mom and best friend Vee are there for her trying to fill in the blanks but she can't help but feel something is missing. When the truth pours out little by little she realizes she isn't the person she thought she was. Will she like the person she has become? View all my reviews

A Drowning World by S.R. Ruark My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book had so much going on. The main focus is the relationship between mother and daughter. And magic. And being a survivor. And the daughter may be the most powerful in the world. So many different magical or paranormal creatures- ghosts, zombies, necromancers. Etc. It was information overload. The family relationship is beautiful though and realistic. This is the first in a series so I am going to assume the second book will thin some of this out. It was a creative story and I am looking forward to seeing what the author does to expand the story and I'll definitely check out book two. Thank you to Read It and Reap and the author for a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. View all my reviews

The Tremblers by Raquel Byrnes My rating: 2 of 5 stars When I requested this book on NetGalley I couldn't get over the pretty cover and beautiful synopsis. I just KNEW I would love this book. It fell short for me. The romance was off. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. The story felt forced to the extent so much was going on but wasn't explained very well. Just because I had a bad experience don't let that sway you. I've seen other people that highly enjoyed this book. Always look into a book for yourself & read what you enjoy! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of the book for a fair and honest review. View all my reviews

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver My rating: 4 of 5 stars The ending got me. This is a book about girls who are very similar to Mean Girls and something bad happens. One of the girls is stuck in a loop, kinda like Groundhog Day, where she is forced to live Cupid Day at school over and over. Sam actually grows up a lot over the days she has to relive and she turns into a much better person. I couldn't stand Lindsey. Even more so later in the book. I grew up being picked on by mean girls and I was never good enough by their standards. I got bullied a lot. Some of these girls I grew up with from church... It was hard for me to look past some things in the book so I didn't. As Sam realizes how wrong they have been it made me wish my "friends" had been that way for me. Thankfully school is a tiny part of your life and after it's over the world opens up and you see how much more there is to it and there are endless places to go and place

Girl, Stolen by April Henry My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a great ya thriller full of suspense and it's scary. I really liked the atmosphere and Cheyenne's character. She fights even though she is blind and deathly ill. Cheyenne has pneumonia and is sleeping in the car while her mom runs in the store for medicine. Griffin sees a car that looks like a good haul and steals the car. When Griffin realizes Cheyenne is in the car he freaks out. He wasn't planning on kidnapping and asks his dad for help. Griffin's dad had evil intentions when he figures out who Cheyenne's dad is but Griffin just wants her dropped off somewhere safely. Cheyenne's dad is a CEO for a major shoe and sporting goods company. Cheyenne is also blind. She can't see her captors but she learned as much as she could about them and paid attention to everything. The problem is Cheyenne's pneumonia isn't getting any better. Will she ever escape or wil

Talk Under Water by Kathryn Lomer My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was a cute book about contemporary romance with a deaf MC and a guy who doesn't let obstacles get in the way of love. I couldn't get enough of this book and read it in one sitting. It was very adorable and the pick me up I needed. Summer and Will meet online and start chatting regularly. Summer doesn't tell Will she is deaf because she is so caught up in him and she doesn't really think she will ever see him face to face. He likes her for who she is and she doesn't want to spoil anything. They start officially dating and things are great, until Will and his dad move back to Kettering where Summer also lives. Summer can't avoid Will, especially with how much she cares for him and they arrange to meet. Will is understandably upset when he finds out she can't hear and gets frustrated. When he calms down he realizes she is still the same person and he takes classes

Read My Lips by Teri Brown My rating: 3 of 5 stars The cover of this book is cute, simple but still pretty. I was drawn to the premise that the main character is deaf, which is so rare in books and I wanted to see how the MC would develop in writing. This book wasn't my favorite but I didn't hate it either. It did have a very Mean Girls feel to it. Serena has just moved and is the new girl at her school. She knows she will stand out bc of that and bc of her disability, she is deaf. Just like most girls, she wants to be part of the popular clique and tells them she is an expert lip reader and can get the juiciest gossip. She winds up literally running into the cutest guy and instantly crushes on him. There's a ton of drama and things get ugly but the ending was cute. View all my reviews

Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen by Alison Weir My rating: 4 of 5 stars I actually didn't know much about Jane going into this book. I think that helped me enjoy her story more because I didn't know what was coming next. I love how strong Jane is and even when it's a difficult position to be in, she stands up for her beliefs. Jane is forced by her family to become a lady in waiting for Queen Katherine instead of becoming the nun she planned to be. A different lady in waiting, Anne Boleyn, is rumored to be having an affair with the king. The rumor seems to be true after the king gets rid of Katherine and makes Anne his new wife. Jane is shocked and has to do a lot of soul searching since she's found herself serving Anne. Jane notices the king watching her and not long after Anne is put on trial for incest, adultery, and treason. She is convicted guilty and sentenced to death by beheading. Jane has no choice when the king asks her to mar