The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines by Shohreh Aghdashloo Pages : 288 Genre : Non-fiction, Memoir Stand Alone My Rating : 3,5/5 From the back of the book : Oscar nominee and Emmy Award–winning actress Shohreh Aghdashloo shares her remarkable personal journey—from a childhood in the Shah’s Iran to the red carpets of Hollywood—in this dazzling memoir of family, faith, revolution, and hope. Enchanted by the movies she watched...

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau Pages : 336 Genre : YA, Dystopia Series : The Testing, book 1 My Rating : 3,5/5 From the back of the book : The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. Cia Vale is...

The Glass Wives by Amy Sue Nathan Pages : 288 Genre : Fiction Stand alone My Rating : 3,5/5 From the back of the book : When a tragic car accident ends the life of Richard Glass, it also upends the lives of Evie and Nicole, and their children. There’s no love lost between the widow and the ex. In fact, Evie sees a silver lining in all this heartache—the chance to rid herself of Nicole once and for all. But Evie wasn’t counting on...

The Lives We Lost by Megan Crewe Pages : 288 Genre : YA, Speculative fiction Series : Fallen World, book 2 My Rating : 3,5/5 From the book’s jacket : A deadly virus has destroyed Kaelyn’s small island community and spread beyond the quarantine. No one is safe. But when Kaelyn finds samples of a vaccine in her father’s abandoned lab, she knows there must be someone, somewhere, who can replicate it. As Kaelyn and her...

Exile by Rebecca Lim Pages : 292 Genre : YA, Supernatural Series : Mercy, book 2 My Rating : 3,5/5 What it’s about : For a long time now, Mercy has been jumping from body to body, life to life. She never knows where she’ll wake up, and who she’ll be. This time, Mercy wakes up as Lela, the daughter of a dying woman. Lela has a depressing job and very little to enjoy in her life. But Mercy also wakes up with the memory...

Sever by Lauren DeStefano Pages : 371 Genre : YA, Speculative Fiction Series : The Chemical Garden, book 3 My Rating : 3,5/5 What it’s about : Against her will Rhine ended up back where she left, in her husband’s home. Things are a bit different now though : Gabriel is long gone, Linden keeps a certain emotional distance from her and her young sister-wife Cecily, now a mother, is quickly growing up. For now, all Rhine wants...

Unremembered by Jessica Brody Pages : 320 Genre : YA, Speculative fiction Series : Unremembered, book 1 My Rating : 3,5/5 What it’s about : The unexpected survivor of a deadly plane crash, Violet has no memory of who she is. She can’t remember the date, her family, or how to use a computer. When time passes by and no family comes to claim her, Violet is temporarily placed in a foster family. Now she gets to learn...

A Taste of Heaven by Meg Tilly Pages : 264 Genre : Fiction, Middle Grade Stand Alone My Rating : 3,5/5 From the back of the book : Madison Stokes leads a pretty average life: average mom and dad, average looks, average grades—well, maybe her little sister is MUCH brattier than average—but nothing out of the ordinary. All that changes when quiet, secretive Alyssa Hawkins moves to town. When Madison takes Alyssa under her wing, the...