Stories Are Perfect

My Goodreads Shortened Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1510690729

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2017-01-26T22:39:00.000-05:00

☆☆☆☆ 4/5 stars
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Non- Spoiler Review-

You never know how your life and actions affect other people and this book shows just how the actions of another person can lead to such a difference in someones life. This book needs to be in schools, it needs to be read by teenagers everywhere, because not only is it incredibly written but it informs you of the consequences of your actions. This could show so many people how wrong bullying is and why it needs to be stopped, and to speak up when you see or hear something. This book deals with dark details that most books leave out, showing you how one persons suicide could be influence by so many people and emotions and just how much a person can take before breaking down. It shows a real side of school and bullies, instead of the stereotypical characteristics of high school and its students along with the bullies that are portrayed most in YA. Not only teenagers need to read this but everyone! Everyone needs to read this. I can't stress how much of a big deal this book is, it really is, and I applaud the author for his incredible writing and storytelling!
My favorite part about this book is it's audiobook, I myself have it on Audible but you can find the Cassettes on You Tube I believe. This book was honestly made for an audiobook it makes the story seem so much more real. I went back and forth between reading the on ebook and listening to the audiobook and I would definitely recommend listening to it!
I loved how easy this book flowed, where it was mostly cassettes with interruptions by the protagonist. I loved how this book showed multiple sides to this one big story that all came together because of the sad incidences that occurred. But this big bubble of mystery and realism is a great book that you won't be able to put down.

“No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same.”
― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why

“If my love were an ocean,

there would be no more land.

If my love were a desert,

you would see only sand.

If my love were a star-

late at night, only light.

And if my love could grow wings,

I'd be soaring in flight.”

― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why

Written by Makayla

My Goodreads Shortened Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1137664836

Winger by Andrew Smith

2017-01-23T01:23:00.002-05:00

☆☆☆☆ 4/5 stars
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No Spoiler Review-

Casual but briliantly written coming of age novel about a fourteen year old junior attending boarding school who is attempting to stay out of trouble but not so much doing a great job of it. . This book is hilarious with its inside jokes and fourth wall breaks, while also keeping the story itself very realistic and easy to read. You will not want to set this book down whether you are reading it (ebook or not), or listening to it. Personally I thought making the main character flawed and incredibly normal made the book as amazing as it was and if he wasn't annoying at times and perfect it wouldn't have let this book have the impact that it did. I mainly gave this book a high rating for its comedy and impact, I thought that it had many messages to send to teenagers and kids who read the book, for example one thing that I enjoyed was how the main character seemed to always contradict himself if he insulted someone or thought something that may not have been entirely appropriate. The writer also gave the main character a voice in his writing that I think everyone has, it's this voice in your head that has no boundaries, while also repeatedly showing how the main character would never say such things aloud though he wanted to. I'd also like to acknowledge the narrator that narrated the audiobook of Winger, he did a very great job at keeping me the listener focused on the book with his many voices and energy. I find many people have a hard time with audiobook narrators but he did not bore me one bit, though I wished he had a different girl voice because it always sounded like Annie was an older woman, ha! No really, I believe he did a fantastic job at reading it and Andrew Smith did a wonderful job of writing such a great book!

Some quotes to enjoy:

“Okay, well . . . yeah, I didn’t really say “Shut the fuck up,” because I honestly don’t cuss. But I wanted to. I think, in reality, I raised my finger to my lips and said, “Shhhhh,” so she wouldn’t say anything else as we spiraled into the center of that wish circle.”
― Andrew Smith, Winger

“And I'm pretty sure that everyone in the Pacific Northwest heard Ryan Dean West shout, "YOUSTEPPEDONMYFUCKINGNUTSYOUSONOFABITCH!”
― Andrew Smith, Winger

Written by Makayla

My Goodreads Shortened Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1644252091

All The Books I Read In 2016

2017-01-02T02:43:00.003-05:00

All The Books I Read In 2016

All though I didn't read a whole lot this year I did read some good books! So here are the books I read in 2016, which I recommend all to anyone interested in the books description!

January

Title: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

My rating: ☆☆☆ 3/5 stars

Description: How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: ...
Click to read my review

Title: The Rest Of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

My Rating: ☆☆☆ 3/5 stars

Description: What if you aren’t the Chosen One?

The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?

What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.

Because someti ...
Click to read my review

February

Title: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

My rating: ☆☆☆☆ 4/5 stars

Description: They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has barely been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always liv ...
Click to read my review

May

Title: The Crown by Kiera Cass

My rating: ☆☆☆☆ 4/5 stars

Description: When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content...

Click to read my review

View on goodreads

Title: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

My rating: ☆☆☆☆ 4/5 stars

Description: In a kingdom by the sea…

In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder ..
Click to read my review

June

Title; Confess by Colleen Hoover

My rating: ☆☆☆☆ 4/5 stars

Description: Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from ...

Click to read my review

August

Title: Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

My rating: ☆☆☆3/5 stars

Description: ARE YOU PLAYING THE GAME OR IS THE GAME PLAYING YOU?

Vee doesn't know if she has the guts to play NERVE, an anonymous online game of dares. But whoever's behind the game knows exactly what she wants, enticing her with lustworthy prizes and a sizzling-hot partner. With Ian on her team, it's easy to agree to another dare. And another. And another. At first it's thrilling as t ...

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Title: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

My rating: ☆☆☆3/5 stars

Description:
~~I have a curse~~
I have a gift

~~I am a monster~~
I'm more than human

~~My touch is lethal~~
My touch is power

~~I am their weapon~~
I will fight back

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

Click to read my review

September

Title: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

My rating: ☆☆☆3/5 stars
Description:
tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.
Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

Click to read my review

Title: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

My rating: ☆☆☆☆4/5 stars

Description: The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love.”

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her fro...
Click to read my review

Title: To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

My rating: ☆☆☆☆4/5 stars
Description: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her ...
Click to read my review

Title: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

My rating: ☆☆☆☆4/5 stars
Description: Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the ..
Click to read my review

October

Title: Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

My rating: ☆☆☆☆☆5/5 stars
Description: Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of ..
Click to read my review

Title: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

My rating: ☆☆☆3/5 stars
Description: Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a ...
Click to read my review

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

My rating: ☆☆☆☆4/5 stars
Description: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the...
Click to read my review

November

Title: Dan & Phil Go Outside by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

My rating: ☆☆☆☆4/5 stars

Description: YouTube sensations Dan Howell (danisnotonfire) and Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) were just two awkward guys who shared their lives on the Internet . . . until now. Dan Howell and Phil Lester, avoiders of human contact and direct sunlight, actually went outside. Traveling around the world on tour, they have collected hundreds of exclusive, intimate, and funny photos, as well as...

December

Title: It Looks Like This by Rafi Mittlefehldt

My rating: ☆☆☆☆4/5 stars
Description: A new state, a new city, a new high school. Mike's father has already found a new evangelical church for the family to attend, even if Mike and his plainspoken little sister, Toby, don't want to go. Dad wants Mike to ditch art for sports, to toughen up, but there’s something uneasy behind his demands.

Then Mike meets Sean, the new kid, and "hey" becomes games of basketball, ...
Click to read my review

Title: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

My rating: ☆☆☆☆4/5 stars

Description: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, an ..

Click to read my review

Written by Makayla

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

2017-01-01T00:35:00.000-05:00

☆☆☆☆ 4/5 stars

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Well. That. Was. A. Roller. Coaster. Of. Emotions. The overall message I took from this book is that taking a risk to make a change because living an average (or not so average) life is overrated. Like the big bang this book is an explosion, an explosion of adventure, risk taking, and first love. This book begins as a cute contemporary of tragic and forbidden love and ends in an almost entirely realistic way if you can believe. The narrator was interesting and never gave me a dull moment. Though she has spent her entire life indoors, Maddy seems to just be in love with the outside world. Her nurse Carla was one of my favorite characters she was the mom everyone wants, and is a very special person to Maddy. Though they are background characters Maddy's mom and Carla were never left out and were a big part of the book as well. Considering shes spends almost the whole book in her home, it's not surprising, but I love the author didn't leave them without details and characterization. Olly is of course that basic teenage love interest, but I like how the author didn't over exaggerate their relationship and kept it quite reasonable and believable... though I don't entirely believe the Hawaii part to be exactly realistic, it was quite fun to read about and definitely helped in developing Maddy's character. Overall the book is a pretty quick and easy read, the writing flows and the story is very interesting to say the least.

Written by Makayla

My Goodreads Shortened Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1858751547

It Looks Like This by Rafi Mittlefehldt

2016-12-30T01:24:00.001-05:00

☆☆☆☆ 4/5 stars
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Slight spoilers ahead please be warned!

It Looks Like This is now a top favorite of mine, next to Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda and Looking for Alaska and maybe even the Shadowhunter Chronicles! This book is artistic in its own way and definitely out of the ordinary. While other YA books tend to leave parents out of the picture I loved that this book incorporated a lot of ideas and issues other books don't focus on. 'It Looks Like This' shows another side of YA that focuses on sexuality, along with family importance and acceptance and other issues, bullying, and even religion. The main character takes you along a colorful coming of age journey to self acceptance and first love. The background characters such as, Ronald and Jared while tend to not be focused on too much are still given great detail, especially Ronald and his mother, Jeri. I thought the lack of quotations made the book seem more familiar and casual, as if Mike was writing this all down or speaking directly to you. I felt if this book had had formal dialogue it just wouldn't have been the same. It's like the difference between writing a story for school and telling your friends a story. One's formal and the other is casual. Though the romance was on the lower side of this novel it is definitely set to the side for the book to focus on more important aspects. The relationship Mike and Toby have as siblings is really well shown, they always seem to look out for each other and reminds me a lot of my relationship with my younger brother. While others may look past all of this books greatest details I know it all comes back to the ever basic troupe of a lesson learned from a death, but I tend to base my opinion of the all together story and for me, it really set up a great story. It was cute, fun, and relatable but most importantly this book sends a great message of acceptance, self acceptance and acceptance of friends and family, to love people for who they are.

Written by Makayla

My Goodreads Shortened Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1854316299

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

2016-10-29T19:22:00.002-04:00

☆☆☆☆ 4/5 stars
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My review (No spoilers)-

Short, sweet, and relatable. Jennifer E. Smith does a wonderful job at portraying the feelings and insecurities of a seventeen year old Hadley, who is stressfully making her way to London for her father's wedding to a woman she's never met. I'd heard wonderful things about this book but I couldn't make myself pick it up, the synopsis just made the book seem cheesy and fluffy, but in reality this story has so much more to offer. The book itself was written extremely well, I enjoyed the fact that it was in third person because so many YA novels/contemporaries are written in first person which can get old quickly. Smith not only makes this story cute and relatable, but she does a wonderful job of keeping the story somewhat realistic and only slightly cheesy. Smith's writing covers the complex emotions Hadley feels towards her parents separation, (which I quite liked that it wasn't fluffed over, being that my parents aren't together) it gave me insight to similar feelings that I'd had at one point. She also gives us insight into Oliver's life as well, she shows how hidden his emotions can be which I feel all of us can relate to in some degree. This novel is definitely a picker upper, I can say that with out a doubt I could not stop smiling after I read this book and I definitely recommend reading it if you haven'd already.

Written by Makayla

My Goodreads Shortened Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1796749818

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

2016-10-28T16:22:00.000-04:00

☆☆☆3/5 stars
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My short review-

While in my own opinion this book was slower than Shadow and Bone, I still enjoyed the story. It wasn't as action packed as the first book, but definitely full of new information and mystery. If you weren't certain if you wanted to finish the Grisha Trilogy I definitely think you will want to continue on! I gave it three stars because it was slower than the first book which I really enjoyed, harder to get into, and I had problems with certain characters. I thought Alina would have a lot more development, and she did at times but she would revert back to being weak and frail, yet she is the Sun Summoner! I also have mixed feelings with Alina and Mal's relationship, at first I thought it was cute, then it got annoying because they kept being on and off, but also because NO ONE TELLS EACH OTHER HOW THEY FEEL OR THE TRUTH OF WHAT IS GOING ON... Ugh!The Darkling continues to be my favorite character because I just love to hate him, no matter how much you want to believe he's dead and gone, you are still finding out new information and realizing how much of a complex character he is. I really just wanted some more character development and more world building, I know Leigh has done a fantastic job at world bending but I maybe wanted a bit more, especially with all the new information we are getting. Overall I think I enjoyed reading this, it did take a while to read completely, as I am reading multiple books at a time but I'd say it was okay and sets up a great plot for the last book.

Quotes:

Written by Makayla

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan:

My Goodreads Shortened Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1388342775

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

2016-10-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

Okay so! If you don't know anything about this book, I would not recommend reading this review. I went into this book not knowing anything about it really, and I think it really made the whole experience better. Now for those of you who don't care, let's get onto the review!

Goodreads

"Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named Leila. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth—sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way."

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars. I know that doesn't seem great, but let me explain myself. Overall, I LOVED this book. The writing was very fun, most of the characters were great, and the plot was so cool and unique. However, with the way it was set up, there were some parts that I liked more than others and some I didn't like at all. The ones I didn't like at all brought the rating down. The story is told in five different sections: Hudson, Bree, Elliot, Sonia, and Leila. Each section contains a different story about Leila's interaction with one of the four other characters. None of them are connected in anyway except an one-lined reference and Leila. Since each story was so different, I'm going to review them separately. Be warned! I'm not exactly going to say these are like spoilers plot-wise, but it's not exactly like I'm not going to spoil something small.

Hudson- Let me just say that I'm so glad I pushed myself to keep reading past this story. I hated this whole plot. Hudson is Leila's "love interest" and their relationship is the definition of insta-love. Love at first sight got a new and very literal meaning because of Hudson and Leila. Besides the insta-love aspect, there wasn't much substance to their little "adventures". At least, not compared to the other three characters.

Bree- As a goody-two shoes, Bree stressed me out. I'm gonna say though that I was stressed in a good way. Bree's story was so so so good. She's running away from home and is just trying to live her life to the fullest. Bree and Leila combined just spells trouble, but it also somehow spells deep revelations(a common theme is all the story's except stupid Hudson's). I don't really know what else to say, but I definitely knew the book was taking a positive turn when I finished this story.

Elliot- Oh poor Elliot. This story was ridiculous in a good way. At first, I thought Bree's story was the funniest, but no it's definitely this one. First of all, there are so many Ferris Bueller's Day Off like references it's absurd. Second of all, Elliot just makes some snappy responses that were so funny. Thirdly, there's a scene where they get locked in a room by a twelve year old that was HYSTERICAL. In addition to being funny, this story is also super super cute. Basically the entire premise is that Elliot is in love with his best friend and Leila has to help him get the girl. There is a teeny bit of back story about Elliot liking Maribel when they were like really little and it's just so PRECIOUS!!! Definitely my favorite of all of the stories!

Sonia- Sonia's story might have been the most heartbreaking. Scratch that, it definitely was. Basically, her boyfriend died several months back but she's fallen in love with someone new while she still loves Sam, her boyfriend. There's talk about soulmates and just allowing yourself to be happy that totally pulled on my heartstrings. I was consistently shocked by how much people just trust Leila and get into her car, and nothing about that changed in Sonia's story. She basically just like hops in a stranger's car and asks her to take her out of town, it's crazy. Whatever. It makes it entertaining I guess. Oh, before I forget I just have to give a shout out to Stoner Tim, that's all.

Leila- The beginning of this story gave me mixed feelings. Leila is at her final destination by this time and we get to learn more about her and why she wants to go to the Northern Lights, but we also have to sit through more stuff about helping people. There's a family at the campsite Leila is at and their daughter forms an attachment to Leila and blah blah blah. That stuff is kinda boring. The real substance in this story is Leila's backstory because until this last section, it's all been about the other characters in their story. This was about Leila and her past and her feelings. It was really cool and I liked the way Adi Alsaid pulled it all off. The ending was disappointing to me, but I'm not sure if everyone feels that way or if it's just me.

If I had to rank the stories, it would go: Elliot, Sonia, Bree, Leila, and Hudson. The great thing about this book is that one bad story won't ruin the whole book. You can hate Hudson's story but love the rest, or hate Sonia's character but still love the book. That's kind of unique in a lot of contemporary books where the characters drive the whole plot.

The front cover says that this book was reminiscent of Paper Towns, but as someone who doesn't love John Green, I think this book is so much better. It's just seems more authentic to me than any of Green's books, but that's a whole other story. I definitely recommend this book to y'all, pick it up! You can let us know you read it too on Instagram or Twitter! Don't forget to check out our giveaway on Instagram! You won't want to miss it!

-Tyler|@perfectabeth__

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

2016-10-19T21:30:00.001-04:00

☆☆☆☆☆5/5 stars

Follow our bookstagram for more bookish posts! IG | @ourstoriesareperfect

Non- Spoiler Review-

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book with any of the following themes or situations;
-A book that has a main character who is gay.
-A book that deals with LGBT problems and situations.
-Has a wide variety of diverse characters.
-Has very interactive parents who aren't distant.
-Relatively happy contemporary but deals with growing up, friends and doesn't entirely focus on romance.
-Situations and themes are very realistic and not typical teen drama YA fiction.

This book is way different than what you thought by first glance. No, it's not cheesy and typical... well it can be cheesy, but in a good way. However it isn't like the other stereotypical LGBT books in YA. Our main character Simon is cute, funny, and hilariously relatable. Not only does this book deal with Simon's life and his sexuality, it also is a story of family, friendship, and self acceptance. The story follows Simon's life which surrounds high school, play rehearsal, his friends, and of course Blue. Throughout the book Simon deals with his life and for him to do that he wanted to make sure his 'Coming Out' wasn't such a big deal, because everything in his life for his family is a big deal, but he didn't want to do that until Blue was also ready so this whole time we're left to wonder 'Who is Blue???', which was a very fun mystery in this book! If I may, it is very obvious who he is in the beginning IF you pay close attention, but then again, it could be any of three someones... Hmm.. I'd like to mention the fact that the author did a wonderful job at making sure Simon's parents were present in the book and not just disappeared, it made the story seem more realistic and also gave us readers a chance to not be annoyed with the main characters actions not being consequential. Simon's development through out the book was great, he went from this kind of shy nerdy kid with a crush with a small circle of friends to a way more confident version of himself, who is more open to people. I liked that this was a sweet LGBT book, I know that many people face really rough situations when they come out to their parents and those are very important to hear and talk about to raise awareness of acceptance, but I liked that this shows that there are some parents that can be supportive. This book is super funny and made me literally laugh out loud a few times and warmed my heart on multiple occasions. For those reasons and many more, I really enjoyed reading this book! It only took me two sittings in a day to read completely and I highly suggest reading this if you want a quick, funny, sweet, and easy read!

My Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Allikay29
My Goodreads Shortened Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1788260178?book_show_action=false

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1.5k Bookstagram Giveaway!

2016-10-19T16:27:00.000-04:00

{Open}

In honor of reaching 1.5k on our Bookstagram we are hosting a giveaway! There will be two books and two winners!
1 winner will receive a signed paperback copy of
To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

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1 winner will recieve a signed paperback copy of
The Selection by Kiera Cass
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The deadline for entering this giveaway is November 10th 2016 becuase we will be announcing the winners at Y'all Fest this year!♡
How to enter:
-must be following @ourstoriesareperfect- repost this picture, tag us, & use the hashtag #storiesareperfgiveaway when reposting on Instagram, ect.
In the caption tell us your name and which book you want to win and how you found our acc in the caption!

-tag two bookstagrams on our instagram post or here on the blog, that you think would be interested in this giveaway!
- Only two reposts per person please & NO GIVEAWAY ACCOUNTS (we want to do something fun for our followers not spam accs)
-you can receive extra entries if you share on any social media sites, just send us a screenshot via DM or email.

- Unfortunetly this giveaway is US only, we will hopefully be able to have a bigger giveaway one day!
The deadline to enter is November 10th 2016!
Who's excited??
#storiesareperfgiveaway

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Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

2016-10-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

Goodreads

"Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked…until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine—Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart."

I gave this book a 4 out 5 star rating on Goodreads, but really it's like a 3.5. There were certain moments that were not the best, but overall the good parts balanced them out. If you're looking for a fun yet touching read, I recommend Dumplin' to you. If you're a bigger girl looking for someone to look up to, I would say "meh". While Will's struggles with her self-image in her relationship seem pretty realistic to a not-so-skinny girl like myself, I think the actual relationship is a little far fetched. Right off the bat, our love interest is set up to be so far out of the main characters league, yet he conveniently falls madly in love with her? I don't really buy it to be honest, but if you're into a whirlwind-dream type of romance, maybe you will. Another problem I had with this was Ellen, Willowdean's best friend, and Will's entire relationship. It started off very cute and I thought it would be a highlight of the book, but it took a really disappointing turn. Will has a lot of jealously towards Ellen because Ellen is so much skinnier and therefore "prettier" and takes it out and a really unfriendly way. That whole situation really bothers me. There are so many different aspects and plotline in this book that I can't even begin to describe without spoiling them, but one really heart warming plotline is Willowdean's aunt Lucy, who was over 400 pounds and died of a heart attack. I thought the story was tragic, and the different ways that Will and her mom were dealing with the tragedy really hit the spot in the feels department. Comedy-wise, the book definitely has more than a handful of funny moments, but it isn't what I would call a funny book. The book is definitely on the more serious side with a sprinkle of just complete silliness. Like I said before, I think this is 3.5/4 star book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone on the fence about reading it or whoever else who wanted to see if it was any good!

Remember to follow us on Twitter and Instagram for cool bookish stuff. Also, until about the second week of November 2016, we're hosting a giveaway on our Instagram because we are really close to reaching 1.5k followers! Make sure to go to our page to check out all the info on that! Happy reading!

-Tyler|@perfectabeth__

Tyler's Summer Summed Up In 5 Words

2016-09-14T00:39:00.000-04:00

With the end of summer comes a brand new, and hopefully better, reading season! I thought I would kick off fall by SUMming up my SUMmer reads! (I hope you all appreciate that wordplay as much as I do.)

The Young Elites by Marie Lu:

Complicated. Confusing. Different. Cool. Meh.

Intricate. Shocking. Captivating. Mind-numbingly good.

A Madness So Discreet by Mandy McGinnis:

Weird. Educational. Unique. Entrancing. Crazy.

The Crown by Kiera Cass:

Plot Twist. Emotional. Nostalgic.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera:

Heart wrenching. Heart warming. Beautiful.

If you follow us on Instagram, like you should, you might have seen that I mentioned that Makayla and I are doing something very special for all of our followers in November! I know it seems far away right now, but it really isn't. So.... I've decided to tease you guys with a clue!
Hint: MPHFPC
That's it! That's all you get.. for now! DM us your guesses on the bookstagram and we MIGHT tell you if you're right! ;)
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter for more updates to come!
-Tyler|@perfectabeth__

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

2016-09-12T23:51:00.000-04:00

☆☆☆☆4/5 stars
Follow our bookstagram for more bookish posts! IG | @ourstoriesareperfect

Short but sweet review!

Two boys, an older sister, a lie, an ex girlfriend, and five letters...
Great, cute, and relatable contemporary! Jenny Han never fails to create a well written and very cute master piece of a contemporary. If you're wanting to read a light and cute contemporary this is the one to pick up. This book is full of diversity, real life situations, and cute moments.
Lara Jean the middle child and shadow of her older sister who is practically perfect in every way, and soon moving away to Scotland for College. Randomly all five of her old middle school 'love' letters get sent to the boys she used to love and suddenly she has to deal with boys, friendships, love, and the responsibilities of growing up.
I thought the writing was wonderful and easy to read, the chapters were short which helps when you are in a slump like me and not reading much, but that being said, I couldn't put it down! I just wanted to know what happens next, what drama is to come? Is this just pretend or real?*wink wink* and of course the most important question WILL KITTY GET A PUPPY??? Lol.

Jenny Han on the 'set' of To All The Boys I've Loved Before cover photo shoot test.

Makayla|@stories_are_forever_

You can also check out all of our links in the tabs above, and don't forget to check out our bookstagram! | @ourstoriesareperfect

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

2016-09-10T04:13:00.001-04:00

☆☆☆☆4/5 stars
Follow our bookstagram for more bookish posts! IG | @ourstoriesareperfect

Non-Spoiler Review

When I started this series I went in with totally no expectations. My best friend loved it and I'd though 'yeah maybe I'll get to it eventually.' and I started the first book and I just wasn't that interested and got half way through and put off finishing it... Well here I am, after forcing myself to finish the series before Y'all Fest I am pleasantly surprised! I believe I have read this entire series in under twenty days by listening to the audiobooks and reading some of it when I could.
I really enjoyed the last book, it perfectly wrapped up the series with a subtle but fulfilling ending. I liked the fact that it was a bit vague as a lot of YA novels tend to have very complex epilogues with 'too happy endings'. But this, this left me satisfied. Ignite Me was the perfect ending, answering questions and more character development it lead you to keep wanting to know more.

Minor-Spoilers Review

I've always had a problem with Juliette, she seemed like she could never make up her mind and was always whining, but I was so happy for her development in this book. She became a bad-ass warrior and leader and stopped caring so much about what others thought and finally let herself go for a chance. She opened up to herself and not only stopped being blind to her feelings, but she overcame her insecurities and learned to control her power. Everyone knows I am not a fan of Adam he is especially selfish and cruel in this book, not to mention childish. (How many times did she have to break up with him???) BUT I have to say I enjoyed the brotherly moments toward the end. Also, DID EVERYONE JUST FORGET ABOUT JAMES ABILITY? No one seemed to mention it or help train him just for something to do, I was hoping he'd flourish more with his abilities. Kenji, oh Kenji, I don't care what he does he'll always be my favorite no one gives him enough credit. He's hilarious, and caring, and sarcastic as hell and all I want is for him to be my best friend. I would've wished to get to know him more but I think his mysteriousness adds to his awesome factor. CAN WE TALK ABOUT WARNER? I LOVED his character development, he's so misunderstood and not even I realized his terrible deeds weren't so terrible until he had to explain himself but I mean come on who would've guessed? But I will say I shipped the two from the moment he came back and honestly didn't need an explanation I was cool with it, totally forgotten. No need to explain to me. You two can you just get closer? Maybe kiss? Yes kissing is good. I was always wanting to yell at the other characters to stop thinking he's a cruel monster when all he wanted was to help his mother and overcome his stupid abusive father. In conclusion I really enjoyed all the twists and turns of the story and how every moment there was yet another surprise.

Click for link

Makayla|@stories_are_forever_

You can also check out all of our links in the tabs above, and don't forget to check out our bookstagram! | @ourstoriesareperfect

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

2016-09-01T14:07:00.000-04:00

☆☆☆☆4/5 stars
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IG | @ourstoriesareperfect

Short Review-
(no spoilers)
I can without a doubt say I enjoyed Unravel Me more than Shatter Me, and there is definitely more going on in this book than the first. I enjoyed most of the book, but I've had a problem with Juliette since the first book with her being a very bipolar character. One minute she's happy go lucky and the next she's throwing a fit and accidentally hurting someone. I love the books and characters but Juliette could be so much more if she didn't whine and throw so many fits and just do what Kenji or Castle says to help strengthen her. As for Adam he is more of a background character at this point with Kenji taking up the spotlight, Adam, oh Adam, he cries as much as Juliette does and it really annoys me. If you wanted to figure out a way to be together stop crying about it, and do your research and figure it out. Warner has minor development in this book, we see two sides of him but he's so insecure and afraid to put himself out there, but he doesn't realized he's already changing, and with the way I'm pulling he better straighten himself out fast. I think that this book was much smoother to read, and made a lot more since and I can't stress this enough, If you like X-Men You'll love these books! But after all I've said don't get me wrong I loved the book and you will too as long as you can get past Juliette's constant whining but then again there are a lot of books with whiny protagonist and people still love them. These books are just one of those where you either absolutely love them or just despise and hate them and it all depends on your reading style and what you like to ready. I do love them and I'm glad my friend forced me to read them!

Messy but relatable review with spoilers!

I loved the scene with James and Juliette, when she tells him the story and he says he sorry for being mad at her, I thought it was really sweet and heartwarming. I don't know how I feel about Castle yet, he seems like he is a good guy but I just have this President Coin vibe every time I he comes up. I don't know maybe it's just me, but I don't fully trust him. I really wanted Juliette to bond with the girls more (crap see they call them the girls so much I can't ever remember their names... Wait wait wait, I remember, Sonya and Sara. ) because she honestly needs more friends, the only people she's managed to talk to are Kenji, Adam (on again off again), and the two guys that got kidnapped, and just barely Castle, Sonya and Sara. If she would just tell people how she feels they would understand and I'm sure the girls would love talking to her... By far my absolute favorite character is Kenji, he's not only hilarious, but he's not afraid to speak his mind, and one of my favorite moments of the book was when he gave Juliette and ultimatum basically saying 'You aren't the only person in the world with problems'. But here's what everyone wants to know right... Who do I ship Juliette with??? Hmmm... Well... You see...
Here's the thing I really dislike Adam... At first I was all for it but things just went downhill. But then we start to see Warner's other side and I have to say I love rooting for the bad guys. But here's the thing, it makes so much more since for her to be with Warner, his power complements her, they strengthen each other where as she drains Adam. Warner, whether he believes it or not has already started to change and again whether Juliette sees it or not she fallen already. It really pissed me off when she just stopped what she was doing and was like "No I'm in love with Adam." she broke Warner's heart! He was giving himself to her, showing her a side of him no one has seen and she has the nerve to tell him 'Oh sorry you know, I just can't do this because I actually can't decide who I want to be with but I'm going to choose Adam because he's the safe choice'.
But to wrap things up, I enjoyed all of the action in this book. and want to start the next book ASAP. I just hope things start working out in SOMEONE'S favor because otherwise everyone's gonna die or be held captive.

Makayla|@stories_are_forever_

You can also check out all of our links in the tabs above, and don't forget to check out our bookstagram! | @ourstoriesareperfect

Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi

2016-08-24T02:35:00.001-04:00

☆☆☆3/5 stars
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IG | @ourstoriesareperfect

Short Review

I thought this book was beautifully written it dragged at times but I myself enjoyed the constant metaphors and simile throught the book even though others may not, but I enjoyed the story itself. When I first started this book I didn't think it was going to go how it ended up going so I was very surprised and I really enjoyed the ending, there's really some X-Men ish vibes going on and I absolutely love it because I love X-Men. That's one of the reasons why I loved Miss Peregrine's, because there's these people with special abilities who are normal people but you get to learn how they feel and who they are and how they act and that's exactly what we did in this book. We learned about how many people act and how definitely if the power was in the wrong hands a lot of things could change very dramatically. I didn't see a lot of world building in this book, as it's a dystopian novel. I assume since we didn't get to know much in the first book that we'll learn more in the second book obviously, but there really wasn't much to learn in the first book anyway, because half of the book we were only in one setting in one place and we didn't go outside much. But overall i definitely enjoyed Shatter Me, that being said I'm excited to see where the story goes in the next books and I'm very excited to meet Tahereh at Y'all Fest this year!

Makayla|@stories_are_forever_

You can also check out all of our links in the tabs above, and don't forget to check out our bookstagram! | @ourstoriesareperfect

Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

2016-08-07T13:58:00.001-04:00

☆☆☆3/5 stars

*Non-spoiler review*

The concept of Jeanne Ryan's 'Nerve' is a dangerous but tempting all or nothing game played to win various prizes by the general public. Anyone can play but not everyone will have the chance to go for the big prizes. I thought the idea was great, it was thrilling and intriguing, with its constant need to win more and explore the main characters edgy side. With that being said, it wasn't all I'd hoped it would live up to be. When I saw the trailer to the movie adaptation I was hooked, it was the only thing I wanted to read and yet I couldn't find it! All of my local bookstores were restocking or just didn't have it and I didn't want to buy it online. Needless to say I fell into a book slump for about two months, anything I picked up I just wasn't interested in, and then I finally found it when we stopped at a Barnes and Noble on our way back home from a trip. I read the whole thing in one sitting and even though I enjoyed it, there are many things that could've been elaborated and defined to thicken the plot. There were many unanswered questions that would have easily been addressed had the ending not been rushed, we don't know much about any of the main characters even by the end, and the planning of the story wasn't as puzzling and elaborate as it could've been. I should give this book 2 & 1/2 stars but I threw in the other half to make three just because I did enjoy reading it.

“we've learned an interesting rule about fame. Those who seem desperate for it are the people that others least want to see.”
― Jeanne Ryan, Nerve

*Spoiler Review*

To start off with the prologue was very gripping, and the author should have used more backstory to feed the energy into the book. The main character was whiny and I didn't enjoy her attitude throughout the book, she had every chance to quit the game yet she continued to play and whined about it. The prizes Vee was offered for the beginning challenges seemed petty and not worth it, if the author would have enticed the reader as well it would have made us more interested in the main character continuing on. I would have liked to see more details into the characters lives, as the info we were given was very vague. The whole unraveling of Vee's mysterious backstory wasn't very satisfying to me, I still don't understand why her parents would ground her for months and months if they really believed that she tried to commit suicide. I understand that you would want to keep a close eye on her but to ground your child for something like that is crazy, you'd want to figure out the problem and see how to help not punish them! (I honestly don't know why the author even put it in the book) As for Ian his character really fascinated me, and we really lost the chance at character development when the author decided to leave our thoughts wondering. Ian's prizes and vague comments meant more to him that Vee's prizes did, you know up until the whole free ride to college for completing the final rounds. There was so much opportunity for this book and I'm sad it just didn't play out in the way it could have. It had so much potential in the beginning and if it would have been better planned out with foreshadowing and intricate clues then it would have been such an amazing book. I just want anyone who is reading my review to know that I did enjoy the book no matter all of the critiquing I gave it, sometimes the hype just kills it and sometimes the potential doesn't reach it's expectations.

Makayla|@stories_are_forever_

You can also check out all of our links in the tabs above, and don't forget to check out our bookstagram! | @ourstoriesareperfect

Confess by Colleen Hoover

2016-06-07T01:49:00.000-04:00

Instagram.com/ourstoriesareperfect/
☆☆☆☆4/5 stars

This being my first Colleen Hoover book I am utterly and totally hooked!
So many people praise Hoover's work and let me tell you I was not at all disappointed!
Her writing just makes the characters feel so real that you just can't stop reading. The way she mixes real life situations in to the book and actually portrays it beautifully is quite remarkable, some books you can tell are lovey dovey contemporaries-which is what I thought this would be but what surprised- and they just aren't realistic. But Hoover's story captivated me, she made me feel so many emotions going through this wild ride of a book. She starts with this tragic backstory and romantic setting with these two young people and then twists their whole stories by the end where you aren't sure who did what and then she gives you one more puzzle piece and it ties things in and you just go 'I don't know what I thought was going to happen but this is it'. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys new-adult fiction/drama/contemporary.
P.S. I definitely recommend going into this book totally blind!

***SPOILERS***
Part one of the story starts slow like any contemporary but for this one you're hooked by the first page. The way Colleen's writing captivates you makes you breathe this book, it makes you devour all the words she's written. Curiosity sets in fast and you start to wonder how does Owen know Auburn? Why is his art studio called confess? and Why does he make his paintings based on confessions? You start continuing on reading and you think it's going to be this great love story, uncomplicated contemporary, then she just twists it up and nobody's telling you what they think or what they feel. Somebody is always taking up for somebody and everybody is selfless and selfish. Then when we find out about Owen knowing Auburn I immediately thought back to his accident and that maybe they'd met at the hospital way back when and then I thought deeperninto it and at first my thoughts were that he was covering for his dad and that his dad was driving the car not him, I also thought that the pills were not his (he just did not seem like he was into drugs, he seemed like a normal person, a normal broken person.) So once their relationship progresses and we start to see Auburn's emotions come out and learn more about Adam's family and how she is still connected to them we're almost shocked when we find out about AJ, but at the same time you didn't know it was going to go any other way. You start to sympathize with Auburn because how could Lydia be so cruel and selfish? But then again we get it, we can relate, that's the thing I've heard about her books, you can relate to them even if you haven't experienced these things personally you always can relate to something.
In part two of the book, things start to progress at a fast pace we're confused with Owen and why he decided to take jail time instead of rehab and let it be on his record and potentially ruin things with Auburn. Then we start to sympathize more with the situation at hand and how Auburn is dealing with trying to keep her son and get custody of him. Mostly everything she does, she has to go through Trey and Trey is manipulative and overprotective and from the very beginning he gave you this feeling of aggressiveness. We start to see how that affects their lives and it gets worse and worse, you start to see that he's corrupt and all he wants is revenge, he just wants hurt Owen for no reason other than a simple punch when they were teenagers. Trey wants to have Auburn but he knows that he will never have her heart no matter how hard he tries. So this frustrates him even more and he gets more and more aggressive about it and when it came down to this I knew something was going to happen. You could just feel how scared she was but at the same time all she wants to do have her son, and so her mind is just always going back to excuses and she doesn't want to ruin things, she wants to just let him have his way and maybe then she'll get her son back. We then start to see that things aren't always fair and life's not always fair and the law is sometimes not always fair. With just the simplest and might I say illegal things Trey almost got his way. At the end we start to get a resolve but not quite she leaves it on a great note, not quite an epilogue but it kind of wraps up the book and explained Owen's mysterious-ness and the origin of his paintings.
I just loved this book so so much and I can understand why everyone was recommending Colleen Hoover's books!
I would recommend to any ones who loves Stephanie Perkins, contemporaries, drama, or new adult fiction!

Makayla|@stories_are_forever_

You can also check out all of our links in the tabs above, and don't forget to check out our bookstagram! | @ourstoriesareperfect

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick - A Review in 200 words

2016-04-01T22:57:00.001-04:00

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12294652-my-life-next-door

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick is a heart-warming story about family, love, and discovering your true self. Samantha Reed is a senator’s daughter, a friend, a younger sister, but most of all, she’s the girl who watches her neighbors from her roof every evening. Samantha admires the Garretts. The family is everything her’s is not. While the Reed’s are ‘perfect’ and tend to ‘color inside the lines’, the Garrett’s are a scribbled page. Mr. and Mrs. Garrett are still in love after however many years of marriage, which is not something that Samantha is accustomed to seeing. They also have 8 children, all of the unique in their own way. There’s Joel, Alice, Jase, Andy, Duff, Harry, George, and Patsy. Samantha has watched them play in their yard or listen to the muffled discussions that travel through their walls for years. Her clean-freak mother, Senator Grace Reed, hates the Garrett’s and their untidiness and inferred irresponsibility. Her mother’s dislike does not stop Samantha from falling for Jase Garrett the moment he climbs up to her secret watching place. If you are captivated by sweet and hilarious contemporary novels, I highly recommend My Life Next Door to you.

-Tyler|@perfectabeth__

Our Blogs Fresh New Look!

2016-03-25T20:16:00.002-04:00

Our Instagram!

We decided to give the blog a new look with the New Year!
So with the new appearance what do you want to see more of on here? Reviews? Tags? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to add us on Google+! Or follow us by email! The links to our Google+, Instagram, and Twitter are in the side bar to the right!

Don't forget to follow this blog and comment to share your opinions on this review! If you'd like go check out our links, which are on our pages right there at the top!

-Makayla IG| stories_are_forever_

Shadowhunters Pilot Review!

2016-01-13T19:28:00.000-05:00

Shadowhunters Tuesday's @ 9pm on FreeForm, the new name for ABC Family.

So me and Tyler thought I'd be cool to write our Shadowhunters, series premiere review in a kind of back and forth chat format. Now I am going to just throw this out there, even though Shadowhunters is slightly different from the books it is still our favorite characters and settings. I hope that all the fans learn to enjoy the changes and get excited like I did when noticing things the director throws in that only the readers would get or notice. That being said we are focusing on the pilot and not necessarily all the differences from the books.

Makayla: So I guess we can start off with the total badassery going on in the beginning of the episode, I mean our favorite trio looked awesome doing a flip off that bridge.

Tyler:

Makayla: So we get a flashback to eight hours earlier before the shadow world collided into Clary's. She walks into The Brooklyn Academy of Art and surprise surprise she gets in!

Tyler:(delete later; talk about Simon and Clary at Java Jones)

Makayla: I have to admit Alberto and Kat really are great as Simon and Clary, especially Alberto playing Simon because he acts just like book Simon!

Tyler:

Makayla: I saw a bit of foreshadowing with the biscotte, did you catch that?

Tyler:

Makayla: So back to Kat playing Clary, a lot of people didn't think she was a good actress, I mean I can't blame them. They only showed us the outtakes in sneak peeks and such, but I actually thought her acting was good. What about you?

Tyler:

Makayla: The only actors I felt needed to work on their acting was the Circle members who Magnus told to get out. Their timing was a bit off but Harry Shum Jr.'s acting definitely made up for it.

Tyler:(delete later; maybe talk about the fighting scenes and how that could have been better or other things you noticed)

Makayla: So other than the acting improvements, what changes did you like? Personally I kind of like that they made Luke into a cop, it gives them more free range to get away with some demon killings and more access to find people, or at least that's what I think.

Tyler:(talk about Dot/Madame Dorthea?)

Makayla: Another change I saw was Maureen, I didn't actually know she was cast let alone going to be in the first episode! So I wonder how Maureen's story will play out considering us readers know her fate. But I'm excited to see how they play it all out! Speaking of Maureen... SHE BROKE THE FOURTH WALL!!! (Here is some lines she spoke while sitting with Simon and Clary on Simon's van in front of Pandemonium.) "You guys don't think that's a little bit suspicious? You not knowing anything about your family? Your mom could be hiding some deep dark secret." (Finally a logical person!)

Tyler: (delete later; talk about Simon/Alberto can sing?)

Makayla: Even though Jace's lines were a bit well, a lot cheesy, we still got some snarky Jace attitude. "Nice choice Izzy, demons dig blondes." haha.
Tyler: More cheesy lines include: "How can I not know who you are?"

Makayla: "Which is what makes you so interesting, Clary Fray." *Jace smoulder*

Tyler: (delete later; talk about pandemonium)

Makayla: I felt like the stunt team could have helped the actors make the fight scenes look more real, especially in the pandemonium fight scene.

Tyler:

Makayla: So I noticed some things that the creator through in that only the reader would notice like for example; Clary's room was painted orange... well that it before Jocelyn burnt down the place. Did you notice anything else?

Tyler:

Makayla: Overall I really liked the pilot it was good, of course like all pilots it could have used some help, but I liked it. I felt like it was very similar to the books but also was kind of a new set up but still the same story. I can't wait to see more of Clary, Jace, Izzy, Alec, and Simon's adventures as the season progress'.

Tyler:(delete later; ending overall thingy like I did above.)

Makayla: Also don't forget, if you download the Freeform app on your mobile device you can watch the second episode and let me tell you it is really good, even better than the first episode.
Tyler:(delete later; end)

-Tyler|@perfectabeth & Makayla|@stories_are_forever_

You can also check out all of our links in the tabs above, and don't forget to check out our bookstagram! | @ourstoriesareperfect

Tyler's 2016 Most Anticipated Books and Reading Goals

2016-01-01T01:56:00.002-05:00

Well! It's 2016! The last half of 2015 was a bit of a bust for me, but I'm ready to have a fresh start in 2016! Here are some of my most anticipated releases and my reading plan.

Anticipated Releases:

1. The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26252859-the-hidden-oracle

2. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25494343-lady-midnight

3. The Crown by Kiera Cass

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074181-the-crown

4. Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23174274-glass-sword

5. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26874946-the-hammer-of-thor

Gosh I am so pumped for all of those books! (Even though I still haven't read the first Magnus Chase book. It's gonna be my first read of 2016 don't you worry!)

Reading Goals and Plan

This year I set my Goodreads goal to 75 books. In order to reach this goal, I would have to read 6 or 7 books per month. I really hope that this will be plausible.

As for my reading goals, I want to start posting more reviews on this blog. It really changes the reading experience when you read from a critical point of view, and I really enjoy that. I also would like to end 2016 by having every book on my shelf be read. Obviously I'll be buying books throughout the year, but I want to have all of them read by December!

Share your reading goals and most anticipated releases with us on Twitter or Instagram! On Instagram we are @ourstoriesareperfect and on Twitter we are @storiesareperf

If you want, use the hashtag #2016readingTM - we'll be checking it everyday and giving some love to people who do!

-Tyler|@perfectabeth__

Top 10 Books of 2015

2015-12-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

Makayla's Top 10 Books of 2015

Let's start in no particular order...

1. My top contemporary novel of this year is Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

This book was absolutely adorable! The writing was fantastic, the story and characters were great! I loved how Benjamin Alire Sáenz incorporates diversity in many ways throughout this book for example; the main characters are Mexican (and not white or white washed), the story isn't an insta-love LGBT fanfic, instead it's written beautifully and unlike anything I've read thus far. Also unlike the usual YA novel he doesn't leave out the parental figures and takes his time to move the story along.

If liked this you might also like: I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

Favorite Quote:

“I had a feeling there was something wrong with me. I guess I was a mystery even to myself.”

― Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

2. My favorite dystopian companion that I read this year is The Heir by Kiera Cass.

The Heir was one of my most anticipated of this year, and I have to say I thoroughly. It took some time getting used to Eadlyn after reading about America in her story in The Selection, etc. Though the book left a HUGE cliffhanger that I wasn't too happy about I absolutely can't wait for The Crown!

If you liked this you might also like: The Selection by Kiera Cass.

Favorite Quote:

“You can be brave and still be feminine. You can lead and still love flowers. Most importantly, you can be queen and still be a bride.”
― Kiera Cass, The Heir

3. My favorite dystopian-fantasy-sci-fi of the year is The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey.

I usually don't like sci-fi novels and I'm not big on dystopian (I wasn't sure it was dystopian but Goodreads says it is) either but I did get into this book more than I thought I would!

(I put Emma

Swan in the picture because I thought Cassie was similar in the way she cares about her family and is ready to fight for her family and what's right)

To be fair I did listen to this book completely on Audible which tends to make books more interesting. I thought the story was better than the other dystopians I have read. I liked that it didn't have much of a love story to it (it really didn't have any) and it focused more on Cassie trying to find and save her brother.

If you liked this you might also like: The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Which is actually a better trilogy than people give it credit for.)

Favorite Quote: “We’re here, and then we’re gone, and it’s not about the time we’re here, but what we do with the time.” ― Rick Yancey, The 5th Wave

4. My favorie horror book of the year is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.

After reading the whole trilogy I can say that the first book was the best out of the three. This book kept me up not only reading but it made me paranoid! This is the creepiest book that I've read all year other than Miss Peregrine's! The way this book (and the others) gave me chills while reading amazed me because this is Michelle's first novel and usually first novels are a jumble but this was written very well! (though I didn't like the last books ending, but that had nothing to do with the writing just the story) But the first and second books were amazing!

If you liked this you might like: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl.

Favorite Quote: “My name is not Mara Dyer, but my lawyer told me I had to choose something..."

― Michelle Hodkin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

5. My favorite mystery/contemporary novel of this year is We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

This is the first an only book I have read in one sitting, that's how great it is! It's also the only book to

leave me surprised at the ending. If you're looking for an excellent, well written, quick mystery to read you will love this book! We Were Liars had me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. There's not much to say other than if you haven't read it, you should.

If you liked this you might like: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard (Another series that is better than people give it credit for)

Favorite Quote: "Be a little kinder than you have to." ―E. Lockhart, We Were Liars.

6.My favorite artsy contemporary of the year is I'll Give You The Sun, by Jandy Nelson.

I started this book in January but put it down because I loaned it from the library, so when Tyler sent me her old copy I procrastinated reading it because I didn't want to start it all over (I was a hundred pages in when I dnf'd it) and man am I sorry that I waited so long to read it! But then again I think I read it at the perfect time in November, it's funny how a book will call to you when you need it most. . .

I could not put this book down, it was We Were Liars and Aristotle and Dante all over again! I stayed up all night reading for two days! But it was worth it! This book has a very artistic theme which I myself being an artist loved and related to, and I thought the writing was such a different style than I've gotten myself used to, and I really loved the alternating point of views in the chapters.

If you liked this you might like: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Favorite Quote: "The sun, stars, ocean, trees, everything. I gave it all up for you."― Jandy Nelson, I'll Give You The Sun.

7. My favorite summery novel of the year is Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson.

This book made me miss my best friend, cry about missing my best friend, and well it made me cry and laugh and I just loved it. The way Morgan Matson wrote this book made you feel all of the feels of having a best friend and what it feels like to be away from them along with a love story and a mystery.

I absolutely loved the playlists, it was one of my favorite parts about the book, and I even listened to some of the songs while listening. I have a full review on the blog (Click Here)

If you liked this you might like: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Favorite Quote: “I don’t think you have to do something so big to be brave. And it’s the little things that are harder anyway.”
― Morgan Matson, Since You've Been Gone

8. My favorite mystery/urban fantasty is Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

After being told how great it was by everyone I decided to pick it up and what do you know I couldn't put it down! The last book in the trilogy 'Library of Souls' has to be my favorite Miss Peregrine book but I love them all the same really. This book has a creepy eerie tone to it but once to get into it it's not all that creepy other than the old photos. I love the world that Ransom has created with the peculiar world and all it's charaters, and how it's a mix of modern day and time travel as well. You'll probably like this is you like time travel!

If you like this you might like: (There aren't really any books similar to Miss Peregrine's but here's a suggestion anyway :P) The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

9. My Favorite high fantasy of the year is Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

I heard a lot of great things about The Grisha Trilogy and I decided to track down all three books and start them so since I read Shadow and Bone, I waited for Siege and Storm to come in the mail and so I started a new book in the mean time and that kind of put the series on hold. I have all three books now (four if you include Six of Crows) and plan to finish the series soon considering I told Leigh at Y'all Fest that I would finish them ASAP. :P

If you liked this you might like: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margret Stohl.

Favorite Quote: “And there's nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk.”― Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone.

10. My favorite relatable novel of the year is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.