Me Before You (93%) is probably one the best romance books I have ever read. Jojo Moyes does an exceptional job writing Will and Lou's story.
​       I have to admit, I saw this book all over the internet, but it's not until I watched the movie trailer with Sam Claflin (yum) did I understand why people were hyping it up. The story caught my heart and would not let it go.
       The story of Me Before You is an interesting one. Will Traynor is injured in a motorcycle accident is a selling point for me. He is a very active and successful guy, and something happens to him that could (heaven forbid) happen to anyone. The fact that he doesn't have a reason to live his life anymore is a very real situation.
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       Summer is officially here! (Well, for me at least. Almost. Today is my last day of finals. But, not the point.) That means going to the beach, new adventures with your friends, and, not to mention, it's contemporary season! So, I thought it was the perfect time to share with you my favorite summer-y books.

       Ready Player One is a really neat science fiction novel about a boy named Wade Watts. He lives in the year 2044, where the only place he feels alive is a virtual reality called the OASIS. In the OASIS, there is a secret puzzle left by the creator who was obsessed on 1980's pop culture. When Wade stumbles into his first clue to the puzzle, he finds that the other OASIS players are willing to kill him to win.
​       Ready Player One is a hilarious adventure novel filled with nerdy references and fantastic writing. 

       My Life Next Door is your average boy-next-door story. (Although, I assume you got that from the title. I mean, come on.) Samantha Reed has been watching the Garrett's from her balcony for months, wishing she could go and be one of them. That is, until Jase climbs up and introduces himself one night. Samantha is knee deep in her first love and his family when everything starts to fall apart in her own.
       My Life Next Door embraces the idea of summer love and adventure, and is the perfect summer romance novel.

          You Are Here is a classic road trip story of Emma and Peter. Emma was born into a very eccentric family, and being the only normal member made her feel a little lonely. That is until, she discovers the birth and death certificates of a twin she didn't know she had. She decides to go back to the town where she grew up to find her brother and share their eighteenth birthday together. When her family finds her gone, however, her next-door-neighbor, Peter, decides to go and look for her on his own. They meet up no more than fifty miles into their journey, and what becomes of it is what neither of them expect.
       You Are Here is a brilliant story of finding yourself, and even finding someone you didn't know existed.

       Rebel Belle is the story of Harper Lee, your average southern belle. What she doesn't expect at the Homecoming dance is a not-so-average run in that turns her into a Paladin, one of an ancient line of warrior guardians with super strength and fighting skills. Upon being forced these new abilities, she finds out that the one person she has to protect is the only person she truly hates, David Stark. Things get even more complicated when Harper starts to fall for him.
       Rebel Belle is a great story that takes fantasy and humorously combines it with a cute contemporary read.

       Since You've Been Gone follows the story of Emily, who can't wait to spend her summer with her best friend, Sloane. Sloane is the who got Emily to lose her shell and be a little more interesting. But, when summer begins, Sloane is no where to be found. Instead, Emily finds a list of thirteen things that only Sloane could dream up for Emily to do. Emily figures that if she wants Sloane to come back, she should do everything on her list.
       Since You've Been Gone is my all time favorite summer read, combining adventure, friendship, and even some love.

       ​Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

       Why We Broke Up (87%) is one of the better YA contemporaries I have read in a while. Min's story is a beautiful one of love and loss, and was written beyond comparison. She really grows throughout the story, and the flow of it is written really well.
       First of all, I absolutely loved Min. She was a little quirky, lovable, and a very realistic character. I love when an author writes a character who could walk up to you on the street and you would be like, "Yeah. Alright. Cool." This is definitely something I look for when reading about characters.
       What I really loved about the story, however, was the fact that it was written as a letter reflecting on Min and Ed's relationship through items. Each item in Min's box has a connection to something different in their relationship, and to think that a relationship could be relived through different objects is a really amazing concept. It added a whole other element that really just tied up every little part of the story.

       Over-hyping is the bane of my existence. The world gets you so excited to read the book that everyone loves, then punches you in the face with disappointment. (Metaphorically, of course.) So, without further ado, here are my top five over-hyped books.

       The first two (or three, I don't remember) books of the Lux Series were absolutely fantastic. I remember being in awe of a book that had sci-fi, romance, and comedy all wrapped into one. But, towards the end of the series, the books seemed repetitive and forced. I still don't understand why authors feel the need to crank out five "bleh" sequels rather than grant the reader a great duology. This will forever be the bane of my existance!

       I have a full review of Armada here if you would like to read in-depth about my feelings for this book, but I'm going to sum it up here for you as well. I read this book after reading Ernest Cline's more beloved book, Ready Player One, and loving it. Armada had the potential of being a great story. Zack Lightman plays the popular video game, Armada, for years, and then finds out that the sci-fi storyline is real, and has to enlist in an intergalactic army. The whole time I was reading this book, it felt like a chance for Cline to show off his 1980's pop culture knowledge, rather than an actual novel. The characters weren't overly interesting, and the chemistry between them was flat as well. It just did not give me nearly the same experience as I had with RPO.

       I have to say, The Selection Series was pretty much just okay. When you are reading it, the first book gets your attention. The next few books, however, are just romance. This isn't bad, though. The series is pretty decent for your generic romance novel. After a while, though, the story gets repetitive, and America gets a little more annoying each time you read about her. And, c'mon people, we all knew how the third book was going to end. Let's be real here...

       Divergent by Veronica Roth is probably the main reason that I found a love for reading. Tris was so easy to relate to, and the world that Roth builds in futuristic Chicago just captivated me. But, I have to say, Roth should have stopped at one. I was so excited to see what was next in store for Tris and her friends. Unfortunately, I was let down the lowest of lows. Insurgent and Allegiant both had a hard time keeping my attention and trouble being relatable.

       I was so excited for The Maze Runner when I first picked it up. Everyone was talking about the upcoming movie, and that it was an action-packed adventure novel. I even sat down one Saturday over summer break and binge read it in one sitting. And when I closed the book and finally took in the day's events, I realized that TMR was not nearly as good as my expectations had been let on. A lot of things happened that just didn't make sense in the world the characters lived in. All in all, it should not have been surrounded by the hype that it did.

       My book rating system is based on percentages, and I realize that may not be the normal way to rate books. I do feel, however, that it is an in-depth way for everyone as a whole to get a better sense of my feelings for the book in a quick glance.

       Verbosity Reviews gets my props for the idea for this post. Alexa and Kelsey do a wonderful job with their blog and without their inspiration, you and I would not be reading and writing this post today. So thank you ladies!

       For those books that you just can't stand to turn the page.

       These are the books that you question the publishing process of.

       Just meh.

       The book that maybe didn't need all the hype or couldn't hold your interest.

       Good enough to make Sherlock smile, but not good enough to make you freak out about it.

       These books get the Tom Felton sign of approval.

       The books that leave you in book hangover, and you can't help but fangirl about.

       Vane Weston should have died in the category-five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past — except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real.
       Audra is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian — Vane's guardian — and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs.
       When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, Audra and Vane start to realize that the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between them.

       Let the Sky Fall (26%) definitely trailed my expectations. I picked it up hoping for a similar experience as I had with the Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout. Shannon Messenger's story just couldn't hold my attention or be taken seriously.
       Let the Sky Fall starts with a boy named Vane, who survived a tornado when he was young. He can''t remember anything from before the accident except for a mysterious dark-headed girl. (This is just the beginning of all things cheesy.) He ends up seeing her while he is on date with another girl (of course). Audra tells him that he is "more powerful and important than he knows" (barf).
       The entirety of the first 100 pages, (and I am assuming the next 300 pages as well) is all cheesy fluff. I was hoping for more of a plot, some character complexity, or anything worth my interest, but did not get anything remotely close.
       My advice for this book is this: If you read, expect only romance. You aren't going to get anything else. At all.