Top Ten Tuesday: Best of the Year (So Far)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where we discuss bookish topics in the form of lists, which we all love to do.

This week's topic is Top Ten Favourite Books So Far This Year

I've read so many great books in these past six months that this may be a bit hard to do, but here goes:

1. The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent: I'm so glad Rachel has started a new YA series. Her Soul Screamers series is still my top favourite and this one was a great beginning to a new world that she's created.

2. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: Finch and Violet made me fall in love with them and this book was just so incredible in every way. It certainly deserves all the hype it gets.

3. Mosquitoland by David Arnold: A great road trip story about an odd girl who discovers the world is just as odd as she is. Great writing and such great characters.

4. I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios: Another great contemporary book about a girl who wants to escape and a boy who's seen too much. I loved every minute of it.

5. All Played Out by Cora Carmack: My number one favourite NA author, this third book in the Rusk series was just as good as the rest and so much fun!

6. The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West: Because Kasie can literally do no wrong. Such a cute read with great characters and a plot only Kasie can pull off.

7. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen: Because it's Sarah Dessen.

8. All The Rage by Courtney Summers: Such an important book that every young woman needs to read and Courtney wrote it in the most amazing way. She is fabulous.

9. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver: Her prose is beautiful and haunting and this book took such wild turns so quietly that it blew me away.

10. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord: A great follow up novel after Open Road Summer that perfectly captures high school life, grief and falling in love all over again.


What books you guys have loved this year or what you're most looking forward to!

Review: The Fill-In Boyfriend

The Fill-In Boyfriend
Author: Kasie West
Published: May 5th, 2015
Paperback, 352 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she's been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend - two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party - three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

I was so excited the minute I picked this book up. Kasie West has not disappointed me and this book was no exception. She finds a way to devise a plot that's unique and fun  with tons of drama along the way. The Fill-In Boyfriend is the perfect contemporary book with just the fun plot I was looking for. Gia has been dying to prove to her friends that her boyfriend, Bradley, really exists, and prom night is the perfect time for it. But when he breaks up with her in the parking lot of the school, she doesn't know what to do. So she grabs the first guy she can find, a brother waiting for his sister, and convinces him to be her fill-in boyfriend for the evening. He reluctantly agrees and they have a great night together. And who wouldn't fall for the fill-in, a charming guy who follows along with the plan and woos her friends at the same time. Which is why, days later, Gia is still thinking about him instead of Bradley and badly wants to see him again.

This book is full of little white lies, trying to win back exes and moments where those lies mean nothing and the two people involved find truth in their schemes. The more time Gia and fill-in Bradley spend together, the more they realize they like each other. Exes get in the way, Gia's frienemy tries so hard to prove that she's lying, and Gia's afraid to fall after having her heart broken by Bradley. It was a quick read with lots of fun, swoon worthy moments and the kind of ending I'd expect from Kasie West. This was the perfect summer read, a book about the end of the school, the beginning of new things, and finding what you wanted when you least expected it. It's about jumping in and not looking back, falling in love and the problems that come with it. Gia and fill-in Bradley were so cute together. He was perfect for her even though it took awhile for them both to realize it. Gia makes some mistakes along the way and she risks friendships for them, but that's what life is all about, taking risks and dealing with the consequences later. One of my favourite parts was when fill-in Bradley revealed his name. The whole conversation was adorable and yes the anticipation killed me. I devour Kasie's books in one day and this one was just the kind of book to spend an afternoon reading. Seriously, so cute.

"You know what we've succeeded in doing with this game?"
"What's that?"
"Increasing the anticipation."
He laughed. "I know right? Can I just be fill-in Bradley forever?"

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we discuss bookish topics in the form of lists (which always make me happy!)

This week's topic is: Books on my Spring TBR List

1. The Fill In Boyfriend by Kasie West (May 5th) Kasie West, why yes I will continue to read everything you write and this one sounds amazing!  

2. The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre (April 7th) One of my favourite new authors, can't wait to read a YA from her.

3. All the Rage by Courtney Summers (April 14th) Courtney is genius and her books hit all the best points that YA should. This one will be intense but I'm ready.

4. Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt ( April 19th) This sounds so different than Tiffany's other books that I can't help but be excited for what she has in store for me. 

5. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver (March 10th) Just bought this one last week, definitely will be reading it soon. Lauren blows me away every time.

6. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord (March 31st) Open Road Summer was the best thing I read last summer, here's hoping this is the best thing I read this spring.

7. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han (May 26th) More Jenny Han! Yes please, can't wait for more letters.

8. We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach (March 24th) This one just sounds so cool. I'm all for what you would do your last night on Earth.

9. Kissing in America by Margo Rabb (May 26th) Romance novels and trying to stay in reality? Sign me up.

10. Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton (May 26th) Ballet and danger and such a beautiful cover. This one's got my name written all over it.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Fill-In Boyfriend

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

My WoW this week is:

The Fill-In Boyfriend

By Kasie West
Expected Publication: May 5th, 2015

From Goodreads:

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for month now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend - two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley. 

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose names she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party - three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship. 

Kasie West has impressed me with every book she's written, so I'm really excited to read this next one from her. It looks like it will be just as much fun as her others, with some drama and miscommunication laced in. If you're a contemporary fan, you'll love Kasie and you should definitely pick up her other contemporary books - The Distance Between Us and On the Fence. May can't come soon enough!

What's your Waiting on Wednesday?