July Favourites

I love July with it's 2 weeks of awesome winter holidays (which is not so winter-y on the Sunny Coast ~ an average of 24C/75F during the day). I also love how July is like a mid-year reflection period and a new start to the second half of the year. I have so many books I'm looking to reading in the rest of 2017 and still so many on my TBR I have not gotten to yet... Having said, that, I've read 87 book so far in 2017, and 20 of them I've marked as new faves (I'm so happy with nearly a 1/4 of my reads being perfectly matched to my reading tastes and moods)

July was an awesome reading month. I:

• discovered 2 new fun authors to follow (Ingrid Paulsen and Lia Weston)
• read new books from 3 fave authors (Kasie West, Lucy Clarke, Mhairi McFarlane)
• read a long-standing TBR backlist title (a classic Meg Cabot! ~ The Guy next Door)
• reread an old fave (P.S I Like You ~ on a glorious Saturday sleepy lie in bed morning)
• listened to a fave book in audio format <3 (The Piper's Son!)

July Book Total

Books: 11
Audiobooks: 1 

Adult fiction: 7
Young Adult fiction: 4
Australian fiction: 2
Rereads: 2

Fave Young Adult Read

Ingrid Paulson's debut Why I Loathe Sterling Lane was totally fun and full of things made of win:

• boarding school and pranks
• genuine loathing with barbed and witty banter and revengeful scheming
• Veronica Mars-style sleuthing
• steamy, swoony pay-off

My review elaborates on why I loved this book and I am so hoping more people find and fall in love with it too <3

Fave Adult Read(s)

Australian author Lia Weston's Those Pleasant Girls is a cool, ridiculously smiley, seriously funny, awesome read with a wild sense of humour and just the right touch of whimsy. I really loved this and you can read my full review here (with bonus mentions of The Gilmore Girls, Jaclyn Moriarty and Anne of Green Gables).

I love Mhairi McFarlane so much (her books have such a brilliant, funny UK vibe, with characters I genuinely care for). My two fave books of hers are You Had Me At Hello and Who's That Girl ~ so I was ridiculously thrilled to see Mhairi released a novella sequel to You Had Me at Hello (I've read YHMAT three times, I love it so). After Hello was pretty much perfect and I grinned my way through it ~ so happy to be back with Rachel and Ben (BEN!!!) and the gang. Mhairi's books bring a whole heap of addictive light and life and smiles into my life <3

Fave audiobook

Being back with Tom and Georgie and the gang was just perfect. I didn't even realise how much I missed them until I was listening. The audiobook was a really compelling format and my work commute was a definite highlight of my day for the week I spent listening to this. 

Fave reread

Oh, mate, some of the tropes in this book are my personal kryptonite: the whole secret identity/letter writing thing (which never gets old to me) and also a good old fashioned hate-to-love antagonistic romance. Even on the reread (when I knew where things were going) I struggled to put it down. I love this brand of cute, funny and smiley contemporary YA. I think this book is up there as one of my fave Kasie West titles ~ along with The Distance Between Us.

So there's my happy-making faves of July titles

What about you? What's one book you've read recently and fallen in love with?

March Favourites

The first half of March was a beautiful, dream-like reading month. Back to back good reads and two new fave reads! The second half was littered with DNF books (which means I did get through a lot of titles that are no longer waiting on my TBR). After too many disappointing attempts in a row, I turned to re-reading some old faves which held up on the reread (occasionally a reread doesn't hold the same magic and the book can fall flat). 

Total reads: 9 books and 4 audiobooks

Fave reads of March:

By Your Side by Kasie West 
Light, swoony and unputdownable ~ with just the right amount of character development to add some ache and depth. This is a rainy day comfort read kind of book that was perfect for my reading mood.

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
A mesmerising blend of gorgeous writing and mysterious happenings,  this contemporary/fantasy/magical realism/genre-blending novel completely stole my heart. I was hooked after a few chapters but I did not anticipate how much the characters would endear themselves to me. Laura Ruby is a born storyteller and some parts had me feeling like I was inside a fairy tale. This book not only had achey, brilliant, shining characters to fall in love with, but it was also unpredictable and daring and wholly original while remaining full of heart. 

Fave Audiobook for March:

I really enjoyed listening to Salt to the Sea, which has four narrators to match all four teenage perspectives. The story was engaging the whole way through, effortlessly transporting me to another time and place, but it wasn't until the end that I really felt moved. I am absolutely glad I spent time with these characters and heard their stories, this is a story that will linger and that deserved to be told. 

Fave Rereads

I am such an Elizabeth Scott fangirl and I love to periodically revisit her work. Perfect You is one of my faves of hers and it always delivers. She captures teen voice so well, and Will is so dreamy! Ha! Tell Me Three Things was a fave read of 2016 and I'm still loving it <3

How was March for you? Any new fave reads?

Hello! :)

Hello!

It's Nomes :)

I've been letting inkcrush sleep for a long time. During that time I've been blogging elsewhere for my uni degree which I finally graduated from in December 2016! I was awarded with my Masters in Teacher-Librarianship and am now a qualified teacher-librarian (primary and secondary school) as well as a straight-up regualr (but awesome) librarian ~  qualified to work in any library (such as the council library, TAFE or at a uni library). Phew! My masters was a mammoth effort and I learnt so much but, underneath it all, my passion is still for literature and developing and nurturing a love of reading and learning how to create libraries that are both a haven and an inspirational space for creativity and lifelong learning (etc! Not about to get into my uni essay talk! Haha). Turns out there is more to be a librarian than just reading and talking about books all day! ;)

Some grad pics @ Southbank in Brisbane (with some of my fam)

I hope you are all going well and finding new favourite books and authors, and spending time visiting old literary friends. I have had a quiet year online (both on here and I also had a rest from social media) but I hope to be back here (and visiting you all on your internet spaces) more frequently this year chatting about my new fave books, authors, literary characters and life! I fell in love with so many books in 2016 and already I have 7 new favourite reads from 2017 alone to talk about. 

Here's three recent reads that are all new faves for me:

By Your Side by Kasie West
I just love how Kasie West writes. Her books so easy to sink into and relax with. I spent a blissful day with this book and am already hanging out for Kasie's next release (which is in July! So thankful she keeps her books coming at me!). She is on par with Elizabeth Scott for me (one of my fave relaxing and swoon-delivering YA authors) and reading By Your Side definitely got me in the mood for revisiting Kasie's older titles (like The Distance Between Us and P.S. I Like You ~ both contemporary YA faves of mine). Her books really are reading highlights in my year. They hit that sweet YA spot (something light, swoony and unputdownable ~ with just the right amount of character development to add some ache and depth). 


Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor is exquisite. Unique and vibrant and messy, the fantasy world vividly comes to life like no other fantasy world I have visited before (in my reading travels, haha). Laini Taylor is a born story-teller, and this story is complicated, romantic, haunting and altogether unexpected. Brilliant, imaginative and stunning ~ Strange the Dreamer was worth the wait. I'm so excited for everyone to read it!






The Pretty Delicious Cafe by Danielle Hawkins
I really, really  enjoyed this charming New Zealand read! Refreshing and very smiley. Gorgeous setting with characters who feel like family. I loved it from the first chapter (with an awesomely awkward and smiley meet cute!). This book has swoon, humour, fantastically fun dialogue, and genuine family and friend messy relationships that never derives into melodrama. Definitely on the look out for more work from Danielle Hawkins and now I have her backlist titles to catch up on!

What book have you read lately that is a new fave?

Talk soon! Nomes x

On The Fence by Kasie West

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.

One of my huge sleeper hits of 2013 was The Distance Between Us by Kasie West which I reread in the weeks following my initial all-nighter read. This was followed by major excitement for her 4th book and 2nd contemporary YA title, On The Fence. I was sold from the first line of the blurb: She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door… sign me up (who doesn't love a boy-next-door contemporary YA?)

You guys, I am fast becoming a huge fan of Kasie West and suspect I will soon feel the same way about her as I do about Elizabeth Scott (who is one of my fave YA authors for swoon and comfort reads -- although completely different in style they both hit the spot).

On The Fence is my kind of reading escape: fun and swoony with the perfect combo of coming of age doubts and insecurities, fun and energetic family dynamic (with a few family secrets thrown in) and slow burn crushing complete with late night in the dark chats. Things are predictable but in that kind of way that you savour the anticipation of how things will unfold.

I love curling up with books like this. Complete happy-making escapism -- smiley teenage angst that's a perfect blend of light with just enough emotional depth to tug on your heart in the right moments. I am so sold on Kasie West and am officially insanely excited for her next title, The Fill-in Boyfriend. (May 5, 2015)

• On The Fence @ goodreads
• My review of Kasie's first YA contemporary: The Distance Between Us (If pressed, I'd say this is my fave so far, but I still so thoroughly enjoyed both her books

Top Ten Tuesday: Top ten authors whose books I own the most of

My first Top Ten Tuesday (which is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish) :)

I always love seeing these posts roll by in my feed and am jumping in today with some pics from my shelves. This was fun to count up how many books I own by certain authors ~ major advantage to long time publishing faves :) All counted up from my shelves ~ not including any ebooks or audiobooks that I own.

First up you should know:

• I don't buy many books -- I am a very happy library addict. 
• I love scrounging around op shops and second hand books stores to find any fave books I need to possess ;)
• I am pretty ruthless with my collection -- I only keep my faves on my shelves and donate/giveaway any other books that accumulate (most recently had a huge clean out when moving house in May ~ I removed over 120 books from my collection then)
• I currently have about 40 books out on loan ~ so I couldn't include them when I went scrounging around my shelves (so my count could be out, haha)

1. John Marsden ~ 14 books

Mostly comprised by the brilliant Tomorrow, When the War Began series. I love Ellie and the gang so much. I finally completed my collection more than ten years after reading them when Coles put them on clearance for $2 (love a bargain!). 

2. Elizabeth Scott ~ 11 books

Elizabeth Scott is one of my all time fave comfort reads. I adore her and am so pleased to own almost her entire catalogue (I'm missing Living Dead Girl ~ which was startling and impressive yet I know I will never reread). My faves of hers are: Stealing Heaven, Miracle and Perfect You

3. Jaclyn Moriarty ~ 10 books

My favourite author! I own all her books to date. These books have all been read at least twice and will be read so many more times. My fave of hers is usually which ever one I happen to be reading ~ too hard to pick. Seriously. (Although I recommend Finding Cassie Carzy if you've yet to try her out)

4. Melina Marchetta ~ 8 books

I love Melina Marchetta. Her books have pride of place on my shelves. I find it hard to pick a fave as it's like  trying to pick your favourite child ~ but I am very happy to have two copies of the gorgeous on The Jellicoe Road ~ stunning, most brilliant book. 

5. Sonya Hartnett ~ 7 books

Sonya Hartnett is a long time fave of mine since I first read Sleeping Dogs when I was 14. Some of these copies have been hard won ~ out of print and gleefully snatched up like hidden treasure from hours spent scrounging around second hand books shops. There are still a few more of hers I would love to own! I read Wilful Blue about 5 times during year 11 and 12. I felt it was some kind of personal manifesto, haha (although it is objectively one of her weaker titles). She is amazing. 

6. Liane Moriarty ~ 6 books

I have all 6 of Liane's gorgeous books (Also I love how she is right next to her sister Nicola Moriarty on my shelves). I personally prefer the cute little trade paperbacks for sizing but am happy to have her latest three in first edition release :) My faves of hers are Three Wishes and the Husband's Secret ! but all of them are brilliant. 

After this I have a massive tie for authors whom I own FOUR books of:

Sherryl Jordan ~ New Zealand author whom I most nostalgically love and adore. My fave of hers is Winter of Fire.
Lisa Schroeder ~ love her verse novels <3
Sara Zarr 
C K Kelly Martin ~ I also have a bonus book on my kindle. Can't wait for her upcoming release!
Cath Crowley ~ Still collecting ~ I have one more Gracie Faltrain book to find and bring home (and hanging out for The Howling Boy)
Kasie West ~ I am fast feeling the same way about Kasie West that I feel about Elizabeth Scott. My fave of hers is The Distance Between Us.
Laurie Halse Anderson
Sarah Ockler ~ I know this number will grow the more Ockler writes.
Sarah Dessen ~ I was sure I had more but must've lost some along the way...

Which author do you own the most books of? 

Do you collect books or pass them on?

(This post would be entirely different if it was authors whom I have read the most books of... So many authors I used to burn through at the library)

My most anticipated books for the second half of 2014

I love marking the mid-year point by reflecting on my fave reads so far (I'll be posting them soon) and also by getting myself all pumped up for the brilliant books that are yet to come. I love having something to look forward too -- book anticipation is it's own kind of special buzz. I am sadly a little out of the loop this year with best-ofs and must-reads and buzz books. I don't even entirely know what is coming up -- but I have 12 books here that I'm truly looking forward to with increasing anticipation.

(all links go to goodreads)

Number one most (insanely) excited about

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

So thrilled (more than you can imagine) that Liane Moriarty has another book coming out this year. She is amazing. I love her.

Five imported contemporary YA titles I'm hanging out for

It's been a slow year with me and contemporary YA. I have not fallen in love with one yet -- or even seem to have been able to find enticing titles to get my hands on. However, I have a really good feeling about these five:

Just Call My Name by Holly Goldberg Sloan

The sequel to I'll be There. It's nearly here. I am stoked.

The Bridge From me To You by Lisa Schroeder

I love Lisa Schroeder. I have loved all her books thus far, we are just perfectly suited - her books and I. The premise of this sounds emotional and swoony and all round exactly like a Lisa Schroeder book.

On The Fence by Kasie West

Love Kasie West. She's swoony and fun and writes those up-all-night kinda books where you don't want to put it down because you're hoping and grinning too much. Love the cheery yellow title, too. This looks so happy-making.

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I am *hoping* that I'll love this. I think it is going to be amazing...

Isla and The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Anna was so fun. I didn't connect the same way with Lola but that doesn't stop me from being excited for this. Also: I read the first 65 pages online -- it was good ;) Really good.







Six Aussie YA titles that have me thinking 2014 is shaping up to be an amazing year in books

The Protected by Claire Zorn

Loved Claire Zorn's debut, so much, and am really looking forward to what she has next. (Honestly -- I am thrilled there is a next so soon! Awesome surprise)

Cooper Bartholomew is Dead by Rebecca James

Loved Rebecca James' most recent release, Sweet Damage, it was an up-all-night, evocatively written psychological thriller. I'm really looking forward to another twisty and suspenseful reading experience <3

Intruder by Christine Bongers

Early reviews have me excited. The premise sounds awesome -- this looks like just my thing.

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

From the super talented author of Life in outer Space -- Keil releases her second YA novel. I'm hanging out for more smiles and fun and something heartfelt and a little bit different. Also, the cover is amazing.

Head of the River by Pip Harry

I really loved Pip's debut (I'll Tell You Mine). It was absorbing, fresh and authentic -- with a plot that made it increasingly harder to put down. Looking forward to meeting more of her characters -- and this premise sounds unique and genuine.

Spark by Rachel Craw

Craw is an NZ author and this looks a tiny out of my comfort zone (with the sci-fi elements and such) but it has me intrigued and I love shaking things up a little in my reading -- definitely going to be hunting this one down








Two bonus titles:

Goodreads has these slated as 2014 releases -- but I'm not so sure? Looks like they may be 2015 titles as there's suspiciously little evidence so far... Whenever they come, I am so there:

The Howling Boy by Cath Crowley CATH. CROWLEY.

Unplugged by Donna Freitas Loved The Survival Kit (and also This Gorgeous Game). This is a genre switch, but I'm game -- Freitas has only ever impressed me so far <3

Are you excited for any of these? 

What are you looking forward to that i don't have on my radar yet?

Faves of 2013

I had a great reading year in 2013. I discovered a bunch of new fave authors and fell in love with some surprising books. I think my reading taste is mostly the same but it has changed in two ways:

1. I give up on books that are not clicking with me far quicker than in the past. If I am not into it, I don't persevere, and I attempted and abandoned at least 50 books in 2013 (some of them I was over 50% into). This makes it hard for me to say exactly how many books I read last year as so many were returned to my library unfinished or still sit on my kindle half read. I do know I completed 100 fiction books :)

2. I am drawn to more cruise-y, relaxing books lately. This is (I am sure) in direct correlation with how many academic texts I am reading for uni. I am so mentally exhausted after study that I don't have the energy to invest in dense and complicated works. I really enjoyed some light fiction and found some new faves that I may not have loved as much in the past but they were perfect for me in 2013.

My picks are a mix of really amazing books, and also books that I just really enjoyed reading :)

Top Nine picks -- in no particular order

 The Vanishing Moment by Margaret Wild

Loved this so much. Margaret Wild is amazing and this book was really different and completely touching and I loved everything about it <3

 All The Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

This was not at all what I expected ~ it's gorgeous and heart-breaking and lyrical and has this beautiful, stomach-hurting love story and page-turning mystery. I so highly recommend you check this book out.

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

I love all of Liane's work and this book was her most addictive, most page-turningly suspenseful yet. I can't wait to see this on the Big screen! Liane is a genius and, IMO, one of Australia's finest writers :)

 Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty

Gorgeous and sad and serendipitous and completely absorbing. I loved this story and it's characters and it's message. I am so looking forward to more Nicola Moriarty ~ she's amazing and writes exactly the kind of books I love to curl up and read <3

 Haze by Paula Weston

I trust by now you all know how much I love this series -- I am a huge advocate for the Aussie YA, upper YA paranormal series. Shadows (book one) was a surprise love for me in 2012 and the best news is Haze amps it up and is even better. This was ridiculously good and ticked all my boxes (especially the swoon/crush aspect). I love these characters so much and I especially love that I have no idea where Weston plans to take her readers with this series.

 If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

I loved this book so much. Autumn is a gorgeous narrator and I stayed up past 2am to finish it off. This was a sleeper hit which made it all the more awesome. I am so hoping Laura Nowlin has more for us soon!

Swimming At Night by Lucy Clarke

(Also published as The Sea Sisters). I just loved so much about this UK debut. The travel and surfing and Australia and Bali and the twists and turns were compelling and absorbing. Can't wait for more.

 Wildlife by Fiona Wood

Fiona Wood is amazing and Wildlife is a funny, sad, captivating, hopeful and touching stand-out. Bonus: camping (one of my fave settings).

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

I've read all of Kate Morton's work and this one is easily my favourite yet. It took a little bit to get into the book but it was so completely worth it. This mystery is stunning and the review/twist is outstanding (I did not see it coming). I love how her stories haunt the reader long after the last page has been turned.






And some bonus recommendations (because I couldn't choose which book to award the tenth spot to)

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West -- for giving me a late-read-into-the-middle-of-the-night good time (light hearted and swoony!)

Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington -- for surprising me and sucking me in and delivering a truly captivating story with a lot of heart and depth.

The Sky So Heavy by Claire Zorn -- love this Aussie YA debut set in the Blue Mountains (my hometown :)). The plot is compelling and the characters felt real -- this is one for fans of Tomorrow, When the World Began.

Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil -- for all the smiles and good times. Such a lovable and fun read.

You Had Me At Hello by Mhairi McFarlane A UK chick-lit novel that was just the right blend of fun and swoon and humour and heart.

Champion by Marie Lu -- for the brilliant ending and June and Day <3

Here's to another brilliant reading year in 2014!

Are any of my faves also faves of yours? 

(I just snuck this post in in January, haha. Winning!)