i'll give you the sun: stardust reread reviews

I'll Give You The Sun

Jandy Nelson

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (yeah I gave this book 10 out of 5 stars. COME FOR ME)

goodreads/b&n/amazon

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

full review of this book... since I've somehow never review it before... under the cut! 

top ten tuesday: sophomore releases

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish, and every week is a different themed list! This week's theme is: "November 3:  Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward To Their Sophomore Novel (because when you love a debut you just are ITCHING to get your hands on the author's second book) or Top Ten Sophomore Novels That I Loved Just As Much If Not More As The Author's Debut (no one hit wonders heeeere!)" So here we go!

Five Sophomore Releases I Can't Wait For 

1. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen #2): I loved Red Queen so much, and I can't wait to see what else this world has in store!

 2. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes #2): An Ember in the Ashes was one of my favorite books that I've read so far this year, and I can only hope that this second installment is as kickass as the first.

3. Map of Fates by Maggie Hall (The Conspiracy of Us #2): What makes the first book so interesting and different for me was the incorporation of unusual settings and mythologies, so I hope the second one does this just as well!

4. Wandering Star by Romina Russell (Zodiac #2): I thought the world of Zodiac was incredibly intricate, and I hope that we can delve into different parts of it in this second novel.

 5. Shiny Broken Pieces by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton (Tiny Pretty Things #2): I got so sucked into the drama of the first one that I read it in like six hours, and I'm just looking for my Gossip Girl-esque sequel!

Four Sophomore Releases I Loved Just as Much as Debuts

1. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord: I thought this novel was just as good, if not better than her debut, Open Road Summer. This is the only book that I have read through twice in a row!

2. Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall: Sandy Hall excels at the adorable. Her debut might be slightly better in my eyes, but this second one is just as cute as A Little Something Different, and for that I am grateful.

3. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson: Obviously, Morgan Matson has another book out now too, but I just wanted to point out that Amy and Roger's Epic Detour was a hell of a debut and hard to follow, but Second Chance Summer was just as amazing as Amy and Roger's was!

4. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson: If you've been on here for any amount of time you'll know that this is one of my favorites ever, even more amazing than Nelson's debut, The Sky is Everywhere!

What is on your list this week?

xx
Sunny

top ten tuesday: auto buy authors

top ten tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at the Broke and the Bookish, where each week we have a different bookish theme! This week's theme is: "August 18: Top Ten Of Your Auto-buy Authors (no matter the genre or what it's about...you'll buy it from these authors!)."

 1. Rainbow Rowell – As one of my top five favorite authors ever, I think it is safe to say I would read anything this woman ever decides to publish. I've followed her from YA to Adult and back, from throwback contemporary to magical realism to (soon) pure fantasy, and I haven't been disappointed yet. Frankly, I think Rainbow is one of the most talented writers around today, and I will fully support her, whatever she decides to write.

2. Sarah J Maas – I only just started reading Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass series at the end of 2014, but over the course of the last eight months, she has definitely become an auto-buy author for me. Throne of Glass is definitely one of my favorite series to EVER exist, and with the release of A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I loved almost just as much as the other series, Maas proved that she writes things that I like. I absolutely cannot wait to see what else she comes up with, because I will be there for it. 

3. Rick Riordan  – I began reading Riordan's books when I was in middle school, when only the first couple Percy Jackson books were out. Since then, I have bought and subsequently read every single one of his releases up until now. Rick Riordan has inspired my love of mythology, and I love the things that he does with the timeless stories, but certainly if Uncle Rick wanted to write about literally anything else, I would be first in line to buy that sucker. 

4. Stephanie Perkins – Some of my absolute favorite contemporaries are written by this woman. I have read Anna and the French Kiss over 10 times! I know these types of books are not for everyone, but I absolutely adore this woman and all of her novels, including her anthology of Christmas stories, which are the cutest. I believe her next release is going to be very different, a horror novel, and you better believe I'm going to read this one too, because I believe that Perkins has the midas touch– and anything she writes will be gold in my book. 

5. Morgan Matson – Like an idiot, I owned every single Morgan Matson book, but never read one until Since You've Been Gone had been released for about two months. Well. After that, which I ended up loving, it took me no time at all to fly through her other two novels, which I loved just as much and more than SYBG. Matson does touching, moving contemporary very very well, and I can't wait until her fourth novel. These are all personal favorites, so Matson's consistency has made me trust her.

6. Shannon Hale – Shannon Hale is another author that I have been reading since I was young, probably reading my first novel by her at 9 or 10 years old. The ones that I read when I was small are still some of my favorite books (The Goose Girl and Princess Academy) and I have since accumulated many of her other novels, from her ya sci/fi book to her adult contemporary to her middle grade fairy tale fantasies, I love Shannon Hale's writing, and I will continue to buy her novels.

7.  John Green – Many people have strong opinions about John Green and his novels, and I understand that he is not for everyone, but you'll forgive me if I love his novels and him as a person. I have been reading his books since 2009, and though some are better than others, I have never not enjoyed myself while reading a John Green book. They are short and fun and they have moments that I just stop and close the book and think about how John Green thinks of the things he does. IF HE EVER releases another book, it will be the best day ever.

8. Marissa Meyer – Though the conclusion isn't out yet, it is safe to say that the Lunar Chronicles have been a huge part of the last few years of my life, and will remain one of my favorite series, no matter what happens in Winter. I can't wait to see what Meyer does after she finishes this series, because I have no doubt in my mind that it will be amazing. The way she takes fairytales and makes them completely her own is something to behold, and I can't help but think she would be just as good at writing whatever else she chooses.

9. V.E. Schwab – pictured here are just a few of the books that V.E. (or Victoria) Schwab has written, and all of them are absolutely brilliant. From adult fantasy to adult super/anti heroes to all over the ya spectrum, Schwab has never failed to impress me. I absolutely love how original all of her ideas are, and from following her on twitter, I am unbelievably excited for whatever it is she comes up with next.

10. Jandy Nelson – Safe to say that I'll Give You The Sun is one of my favorite novels ever, and The Sky is Everywhere is no slouch either. These are both heartwrenching stories of love and loss, and it is truly like Nelson finds the bullet holes in your heart and aims the words right for them. I literally cried my eyes out while reading both of these books, more than once. Her next release isn't slated for release until 2017, but I would wait TWICE that to read a sentence that this woman writes.

What are your picks for this week?

xx

Sunny

top ten tuesday: beachy reads

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish, where each week we highlight a different category relating to our favorite books. This week's category is "May 26: Ten Books I Plan To Have In My Beach Bag This Summer or Ten Books I Think Make Great Beach Reads." Now, this is one of my favorite categories of books, as in the summer I always feel particularly happy, which makes me want to read light and fluffy books. I have an entire post exclusively dedicated to my favorite summer-themed books, Here, but I will talk about some of my favorite beach reads today. 

1. Anything by Morgan Matson. I'm counting all three of her novels as the top spot in this list, because they are all summer-y and swoony, combining the tough topics in life with amazing romance and classic summer activities. These are some of my all time favorite summer books. 

2. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll know that this is one of my all time favorite books, one that I always recommend when people want to know what to read. It is one of those stories that you get completely engrossed in, and hours will pass without you realizing. I think that is perfect for a beach read, because it is something that you will get really into without having the commitment of starting a whole series. 

3. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. All of Sarah Dessen's books would make great beach reads, actually, but this one is my favorite. It is kind of like Morgan Matson in that Sarah Dessen combines tough subjects with the thrill of first love, but I tend to think of these as books for younger teen girls. They deal with the tough subjects but in a manageable way, which I think is perfect for a summer read. 

4. Paper Towns by John Green. This book is on the shorter side, but there is a lot packed into the few pages that make up the novel. This is one that can be read in a day or two, but it will stay with you for weeks and months after you finish it. 

5. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Though this book is a bit of a different genre than the others on this list, I still think it would make a great summer read. I know a lot of people like to read James Patterson-esque, fast paced thrillers in the summer months, and I think The Naturals is a good YA choice in this same vein. It was described to me as a teenage Criminal Minds, and I completely agree with that statement. A group of child prodigies, coming together to profile and arrest criminals for the FBI? Sounds great to me. 

6. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. Though this takes place in a work environment, and that is the last thing that people want to think about while on vacation, I think it is a perfect beach read. Short, sweet, and hilarious, it is told through emails as well as prose, and the pages absolutely seem to fly by. 

7. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. This isn't your typical summer contemporary. Though parts of it seem idyllic and carefree, there is a sinister undertone throughout the story. There is a huge mystery running through the plot, and the plot twist at the end will knock your socks off. 

8.  The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E Smith. This is a cutesy contemporary story, and some of it does take place in the summer. This is a sort of mindless read, nothing to think too hard about, but it will leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside when you finish it. 

9. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I read this one last summer, and finished it in one long day, which may be the only reason I associate this with a summer read. I do think that it is something thrilling and different, a new genre to try while you've got the time to try it. 

10. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. I associate this book with both spring and summer, because of how light and sweet it is. It is one of the cutest books I've ever read, from the story to the characters, language and cover design. It's a perfect pick-me-up. 

what are some of your ideal summer reads? 

xx

Sunny