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Book Review: The Distance Between Us

Posted on March 14, 2017March 15, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

Money can’t buy a good first impression.

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers learned early that the rich are not to be trusted. And after years of studying them from behind the cash register of her mom’s porcelain-doll shop, she has seen nothing to prove otherwise. Enter Xander Spence—he’s tall, handsome, and oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and the fact that he seems to be one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But just when Xander’s loyalty and attentiveness are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. With so many obstacles standing in their way, can she close the distance between them?

Purchase From:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Review

I can’t believe I forgot to review this book. I read it a while back and I really liked, even though it wasn’t my all time favorite Kasie West novel. Let’s dive in.

First, if you’re making your way through Kasie West’s books like I’ve been doing recently I recommend reading The Distance Between Us before On the Fence because they take place in the same town so there’s some overlapping characters and The Distance Between Us was released first. Truthfully though it doesn’t really matter, which order you read them in since nothing’s given away but I would’ve preferred if I’d read them in order.

Moving on, I loved Caymen and Xander. They were so cute together and made me swoon. I also liked that we got to see their relationship play out. A lot of romance novels wait to the end for the characters to get together and then there’s only like a chapter where they’re actually together but this book wasn’t like that. You actually get to see their romance play out, which was nice. I also really liked Caymen’s humor. She’s super sarcastic and witty and I loved how Xander played off that but could also see through it when she was using her humor to deflect.

My biggest issue with this novel was Caymen’s mom. I found her to be super irritating but thankfully she’s not around that often so it didn’t bother me too much. Other than that I really like this novel and want to buy it so I can read it again. Once I finally read By Your Side I plan on doing a full ranking of all of West’s romance novels and I’m pretty sure The Distance Between Us will be close to the top. Definitely give it a read if you haven’t already.

Stars:

Favorite Line:

“Sometimes it’s the little things that bring that special someone back to us in some small way.”

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ARC Book Review: The Hot One

Posted on February 23, 2017April 18, 2017 by Zakiya N. Jamal in ARC Reviews, Book Reviews, Books to Buy

Synopsis:

At first glance, stripping naked at my ex-girlfriend’s place of work might not seem like the brightest way to win her back.
But trust me on this count – she always liked me best without any clothes on. And sometimes you’ve got to play to your strengths when you’re fighting an uphill battle. As a lawyer, I know how to fight, and I’m prepared to fight hard for her. I might have let her slip through my fingers the last time, but no way will that happen twice.
He’s the one who got away…
The nerve of Tyler Nichols to reappear like that, stripping at my job, showing off his rock hard body that drove me wild far too many nights. That man with his knowing grin and mischievous eyes is nothing but a cocky, arrogant jerk to saunter back into my life. Except, what if he’s not…?
He’s the one I’ve tried like hell to forget but just can’t. Maybe I’m cursed to remember him. My money is on him being the same guy he always was, but what’s the harm in giving him a week to prove he’s a new man? I won’t fall for him again.
But how do you resist the hot one…

Purchase From:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks

Review

*I received a free digital advanced reader’s copy of this book from Lauren Blakely Books. This did not influence my review of this book in anyway. This is an honest review of the novel as I saw it. This novel will be released on February 27, 2017.*

Honestly, when I first read the synopsis of The Hot One I wasn’t totally sold on it. Tyler just sounded too cocky and not my kind of guy at all. However, because I’ve loved almost every single one of Lauren Blakely’s books that I’ve read I still wanted to give this book a try and I’m so glad I did.

While Tyler was definitely just as cocky as I expected him to be he was also really funny and totally sweet. I absolutely loved his chemistry with Delaney and I also just loved Delaney as a person as well. The story is told in their alternating POVs, which I really liked because it was interesting to see how they viewed their past break-up in different ways. For Tyler, it was something he felt had to happen, whereas for Delaney it was devastating but also a major turning point in her life that turned out to be for the better.

What I loved most about this book was that the relationship between Tyler and Delaney was a slow burn. Not like really slow (this is an erotic novel after all) but unlike other Blakely books I’ve read, Tyler and Delaney didn’t just jump into bed right away. This was mainly because of their past relationship and the fact that they hadn’t seen each other since they broke up. These two had to get to know each other again and it was fun seeing them figure each other out as if it was the first time, not the second. Plus, when they finally did get in bed it was totally worth the build up.

My only issue in the book was Delaney had another love interest, Trevor, who seemed pretty pointless. Obviously I knew Tyler and Delaney were end game but still, we literally only see Trevor once and then he pretty much disappears after that. I kind wanted some drama there, especially because I feel like Tyler wouldn’t have taken the competition well and that could’ve been funny. But alas, it wasn’t so.

Still, Trevor aside, I really liked this book and read it in the span of day. I just couldn’t put it down. Definitely check this book out once it’s released. It’s a must read.

Stars:

I Read 100 Books This Year! (My 2016 Wrap-Up)

Posted on December 31, 2016December 30, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

The amazing Jamie over at The Perpetual Page-Turner made an End of Year Survey for book nerds (her 7th annual one!) and I’ll be using it for my yearly wrap-up. Check it out below and have a happy New Year!

2016 Reading Stats

Number of Books You Read: 100

Number of Re-Reads: 2

Genre You Read the Most From: YA Fantasy

Best In Books

1. Best Book You Read in 2016?

There’s no contest. A Court of Mist and Fury, for sure.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn’t?

All the Bright Places. It was SO overhyped.

3. Most Surprising (in a good way or bad way) Book You Read?

November 9 surprised me because I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. This was another overhyped book for me.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People to Read (And They Did)?

I attempted to push a lot of people to read ACOMAF but I don’t think anyone did lol.

5. Best Series You Started In 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

This is tough. Best series I started this year has to be Throne of Glass. I binged all the books this year. The best sequel of 2016 is ACOMAF (duh!). Crooked Kingdom and The Midnight Star tie for best series ender. They were both so well done that I can’t choose.

6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2016?

Kasie West; I’m obsessed with her books now.

7. Best Book From a Genre You Don’t Typically Read/Was Out of Your Comfort Zone?

Illuminae and Gemina. I don’t read sci-fi that often but I love this series.

8. Most Action-Packed/Thrilling/Unputdownable Book of the Year?

Crooked Kingdom, for sure. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, worried about my Dregs.

9. Book You Read in 2016 That You Are Most Likely to Re-Read Next Year?

ACOMAF, lol. Sorry not sorry.

10. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2016?

The Raven King cover is GORGEOUS!

11. Most Memorable Character of 2016?

This is a really tough call but I gotta got with the High Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand.

12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2016?

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. Just thinking about it makes me cry.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2016?

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. So beautiful and thought provoking.

14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2016 to Finally Read?

Definitely the last four Harry Potter books. Honestly, I really can’t believe I’d never read them before.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2016?

“In my head I’ve been in love before, but it doesn’t feel like it. Being in love with you is better than the first time. It feels like the first time and the last time and the only time all at once.” — Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read in 2016?

A Gallagher Wedding by Ally Carter was the shortest. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the longest.

17. Book That Shocked You the Most?

Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin definitely shocked me the most. I’m still crying over that ending.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (You Will Go Down With This Ship!)

“Feysand” (Feyre and Rhysand)

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year

Emma and Cristina from Lady Midnight.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

The Boy is Back by Meg Cabot

21. Best Book You Read in 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY on a Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. This book was everywhere on bookstagram and once my friend Jess told me she’d read it and liked it that was the final push for me to read it. A slow start but overall an awesome read.

22. Newest Fictional Crush From a Book You Read in 2016?

Magiano from The Young Elites trilogy

23. Best 2016 Debut You Read?

Dreamology by Lucy Keating

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I hate to say ACOMAF again but the worldbuilding in that book is superb. Velaris alone is enough to make ACOMAF my first choice.

25. Book That Put a Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN to Read?

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

26. Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2016?

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

27. Hidden Gem of the Year?

You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

The end of Empire of Storms definitely crushed my soul.

29. Most Unique Book You Read in 2016?

Definitely Illuminae and Gemina.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (Doesn’t Necessarily Mean You Didn’t Like It)?

Probably It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover just because it was so disappointing.

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

1. New Favorite Book Blog You Discovered in 2016?

Twirling Pages

2. Favorite Review That You Wrote in 2016?

My review for Blood for Blood is pretty great, if I do say so myself.

3. Best Discussion/Non-Review Post You Had on Your Blog?

I really like my post on book hangovers.

4. Best Event That You Participated In (Author Signings, Festivals, Virtual Events, Memes, etc.)?

Definitely Book Con. I can’t wait to do it all again next year.

5. Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life in 2016?

When I hit 2,000 followers on Instagram. It still doesn’t feel real, tbh.

6. Most Challenging Thing About Blogging or Your Reading Life This Year?

Definitely time management. I’m definitely going to be cutting back next year and reading less so I can focus on my writing more.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

My book review of The Crown by Kiera Cass.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

My “9 Ways to Up Your Bookstagram Game” post, although to be fair I didn’t have a lot of followers back then so I can understand why no one trusted my judgement, lol.

9. Best Bookish Discovery (Book Related Sites, Book Stores, etc.)?

Definitely Book Outlet. I’ve gotten so many cheap books from that site this year.

10. Did You Complete Any Reading Challenges or Goals That You Had Set For Yourself at the Beginning of This Year?

Yep! I reached my goal of reading 100 books this year, and just in the nick of time too.

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get to in 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2017 (non-debut)?

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?

The last Throne of Glass book 😦

5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life in 2017?

Read more diverse books by diverse authors

6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend to Everyone:

I haven’t read any yet. I’m so behind on my ARCs 😦

15 Bookstagram Accounts You Need To Follow

Posted on February 8, 2016February 8, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog, Books

Hey guys! I know today is Monday and this is obviously not a Man Crush Monday post. However, I’m currently trying out a different posting schedule so just bear with me. Thanks!

For those of you that don’t already know I recently joined the #bookstagram community and I’m loving it. If you’re not following me on Instagram yet please do! It’s so fun and I love posting pics of my books. Besides myself there are SO many amazing bookstagram accounts you should be following. Here’s just a few of my faves.

1. Celine (@celinereads)

2. Saskiareads (@saskiareads)

3. The High Ladies (@thecourtofbooksandreaders)

4. Bookcrastinators in Wonderland (@bookcrastinators)

5. Seth (@seth.the.reader)

6. Leanne (@leanne_bibliomaniac)

7. Ryza Lorraine (@stylereads_)

8. Ashlynn (@bookishqueen)

9. Carlos (@abookishdreamer)

10. Linnie (@beyondtheblurb)

11. Emily (@book.happy)

12. Fiderly (@readsleepfangirl)

13. Kath (@kath_reads)

14. Tenn (@ten_art_books)

15. Kay (@thebookannex)

And here’s a bonus pic from yours truly.

Do you have a bookstagram account? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to follow you! 🙂

10 Box Subscriptions Every Book Lover Needs

Posted on January 29, 2016January 28, 2016 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Have you guys heard of #bookstagram? It’s this community of wonderful people on Instagram who take gorgeous pictures of books. I’m just getting into it and I love it so much already, even though there’s so many accounts that fill me with book envy (I want your shelf!).

Through #bookstagram I’ve discovered there’s so many different book box subscriptions, most of which I’ve never heard of before. I haven’t signed up for any yet because unfortunately they’re usually not cheap but I’m hoping one day I can at least sign up for one. Here’s a list of some that I’m obsessed with. Check them out if you haven’t already.

*Note: These prices do not include shipping. Please check the site to get the exact price.*

OwlCrate ($167.94/6 month subscription)

thedarkestpartsofsnow_DEC — Source: @thedarkestpartofsnow

If you love young adult novels as much as I do you’ll love OwlCrate. Each month you get a new YA novel along with other amazing literary goodies that vary each month. I want this box SO badly that I’ve entered multiple giveaways and rep searches just to get one.

2. MyBookBox ($39.95/monthly)

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 9.39.07 PM — Source: @mybookboxus

The awesome thing about this box subscription is you have your choice of two different genres and then you get a book from each of those. If you want only books this is the perfect box for you.

3. Once Upon a BookCase ($26/month)

1fb2ed6cbd81494c8c9a4b89e80c706b — Source: Once Upon a BookCase

Addicted to books? Addicted to your phone? Why not combine the two? With Once Upon a BookCase each month you get a new book inspired phone case, a literary accessory, and a 5″ x 7″ quote print. It’s the perfect way to show of your love for all things book related.

4. Lit-Cube ($29.99/month)

Sent out each month this fun box, funded with Kick Starter, includes a book and a book themed accessory each month. This includes all different genres so you’ll always be surprised by what you find inside.

5. The Best Damn Book Box ($169.99/6 month prepay)

NICOLE_-_15_-_3 — Source: The Best Damn Book Box

The name of this box doesn’t lie. Not only do you get a book and awesome swag each month, but for each box purchased the company donates a $1 to a charity chosen each month by subscribers. What’s better than getting a good book and also giving back?

6. The Bookish Box ($321.99/12 month prepay)*

Do you have enough books? Who am I kidding, you can never have enough books. But maybe you don’t want a book coming to you in the mail every month. Maybe you just want to get cute book items to pump up your style. If so, this box is perfect with you. Each month you get a t-shirt along with other cute and fun book accessories to keep you looking bookish and stylish all year long.

*Note: Prices vary for plus size options.

7. BooklyBox ($20.99/monthly)

Screen Shot 2016-01-28 at 10.13.43 PM — Source: @ursula_uriarte

The first online book club, BooklyBox offers nine different genres to choose from guaranteeing you get a box with a book you actually want. Besides getting a great book and bookish accessories each month, for every box purchased a book is donated to a child/teen/adult in a developing country.

8. Fandom of the Month Club ($120.00/12 month prepay)

If you love jewelry and fandoms, the Fandom of the Month club is perfect for you. With each box you get 3-4 handpicked pieces of jewelry for one fandom. The only thing is you have to like surprises because you never know beforehand which fandom you’ll get each month. But, hey, what’s life without a little surprise, right?

9. Illumicrate ($43.06/1 quarter plan)

Getting a box each month might be a bit too much for you and that’s totally fine. Instead with Illumicrate you only get a box every three months. Still filled with a book and the bookish accessories you love, just less frequently. For the people in the UK this is the perfect box for you (free shipping!) but if you don’t live in the UK it might not be the best plan.

10. The Monthly Prophet (prices vary)

Source @themonthlyprophetbox — Source: @themonthlyprophetbox

The Monthly Prophet is all about magic and mystery. You can either subscribe to a book box for Magic where you’ll get a *magical* book or a mystery box that provides a book from a different fandom each month. Or, if you would prefer jewelry, you can sign up for a jewelry box, also with the choice of magic or mystery. If you’re into fantasy, Harry Potter, and like surprises this may just be the box for you.

Happy Reading!