Rainbow Book Recommendations

#ShelfieGoals

      As book lovers, we tend to do a few things people don’t expect. For starters, we DO judge books by their covers. (And if you just denied that statement...you’re lying to yourself.) One of my favorite things as a bookworm is to sort my books by the color of their cover, because, let’s be real, folks, it’s super satisfying. There hasn’t been a rainbow #shelfie to cross my Instagram dash that I didn’t like. So, to coincide with that, I thought I would share some book recommendations this week in rainbow format, just in case you still need a book in that one color to even out your shelfies. (I’ve got your back.)​

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We Should Hang Out Sometime: Embarrassingly, a True Story, by: Josh Sundquist

       ​A bright, poignant, and deeply funny autobiographical account of coming of age as an amputee cancer survivor, from Josh Sundquist: Paralympic ski racer, YouTube star, and motivational speaker.
       Josh Sundquist only ever had one girlfriend.
       For twenty-three hours.
       In eighth grade.
       Why was Josh still single? To find out, he tracked down the girls he had tried to date and asked them straight up: What went wrong?
       The results of Josh's semiscientific, wholly hilarious investigation are captured here. From a disastrous Putt-Putt date involving a backward prosthetic foot, to his introduction to CFD (Close Fast Dancing), to a 

misguided "grand gesture" at a Miss America pageant, this story is about looking for love--or at least a girlfriend--in all the wrong places.

       This memoir by Josh Sundquist is one of my all-time favorite nonfiction books. It’s a story that takes the reader through all of Josh’s awkward and embarrassing encounters with girls while growing up. It left me crying tears of laughter. What makes this book so great is how relatable it is to just about everyone. I mean, we’ve all got to admit to having those mortifying encounters with crushes in our youth. Josh’s ability to tell a story and mock his younger self adds a particular kind of charm to the whole experience. If you are looking for a nonfiction book with a YA contemporary tone, you have come to the right place with this one.

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Ready Player One, by: Ernest Cline

       In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

       If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I LOVE young adult books centered around video gaming and digital realities. This book is no exception to that rule. Full of humor, action, and references to 1980’s pop culture, it has something to appeal to almost everyone. Wade Watts is our gamer and the main character in the story, who goes on an adventure through the virtual reality in his world, called the OASIS, to figure out the puzzle hidden within it. Based all around the creator’s love of the 80’s (both the OASIS inventor and Ernest Cline), it provides layer upon layer of elements from pop culture to romance, and it’s one of my all-time favorites.

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Gregory and the Grimbockle, by: Melanie Schubert

       ​Ten-year-old Gregory is about to find out that the enormous mole stuck straight beneath his nose is not just a mole, but is actually a humpy crumpy portal of skin that hides a creature called the Grimbockle.
       What’s more? The Grimbockle is just one of the many strange little creatures called Bockles tending to the mysterious threads that connect all humans from one to the other. It is a very important job and one that has long been carried out with incredible secrecy...
       ...that is, before tonight.

       Gregory and the Grimbockle is a fantastic middle-grade book. If you've ever read The BFG by Roald Dahl and enjoyed it, you're sure to love this book just as much. Even though it’s geared towards a younger audience, the story discusses the topic of relationships between family members and friends. Be sure to check out my full review if you would like to know more.

Gregory and the Grimbockle Review

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Windfall, by: Jennifer E. Smith

       Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes. 
       At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the 

​ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall. 
       As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined…and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

       We’ve all had that same thought: “What would you do if you won the library?” This YA contemporary explores that idea when Alice buys her best friend Teddy a lottery ticket for his eighteenth birthday, and he wins. Most people considering winning a dream, but this story explores the mess that it can make between people, and how money can affect the relationships between them, no matter how close they are.

Windfall Review

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The Chaos of Standing Still, by: Jessica Brody

       ​Over the course of one chaotic night stranded at the Denver airport, Ryn confronts her shattered past thanks to the charm of romance, the uniqueness of strangers, and the magic of ordinary places in this stunning novel from the author of Boys of Summer.
       Ryn has one unread text message on her phone. And it’s been there for almost a year.
       She hasn’t tried to read it. She can’t. She won’t. Because that one message is the last thing her best friend ever said to her before she died.
       But as Ryn finds herself trapped in the Denver International Airport on New Year’s Eve thanks to a never-ending blizzard on the one-year anniversary of her best friend’s death, fate literally runs into her.
       And his name is Xander.

       When the two accidentally swap phones, Ryn and Xander are thrust into the chaos of an unforgettable all-night adventure, filled with charming and mysterious strangers, a secret New Year’s Eve bash, and a possible Illuminati conspiracy hidden within the Denver airport. But as the bizarre night continues, all Ryn can think about is that one unread text message. It follows her wherever she goes, because Ryn can’t get her brialliantly wild and free-spirited best friend out of her head.
       Ryn can’t move on.
       But tonight, for the first time ever, she’s trying. And maybe that’s a start.

       For some people, getting snowed in at an airport isn’t ideal. For Ryn, it’s a nightmare. This book takes place one year after she loses her best friend in a car accident. Not to mention, it’s New Year’s Eve, and the airport is in chaos. (See what I did there?) Set over the course of one night with some interwoven flashbacks, this story explores the issues dealing with PTSD and what it’s like to grieve and move on. Although the plot idea is a deep one, this book still has plenty of witty banter and amusing cameos. Who knew so much could happen and people could grow so much in one night?

The Chaos of Standing Still Review

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Foolish Hearts, by: Emma Mills

       The day of the last party of the summer, Claudia overhears a conversation she wasn't supposed to. Now on the wrong side of one of the meanest girls in school, Claudia doesn't know what to expect when the two are paired up to write a paper—let alone when they're both forced to try out for the school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
       But mandatory participation has its upsides—namely, an unexpected friendship, a boy band obsession, and a guy with the best dimpled smile Claudia's ever seen. As Claudia's world starts to expand, she finds that maybe there are some things worth sticking her neck out for.

       As a reader who also considers herself a theatre nerd, this book was a welcome surprise in my December Uppercase Box. Being a high school girl and experiencing a lot of the same situations with friendships and play production, I found this book very relatable. (And even if you aren’t big into drama, this book is still an excellent read.) This story explored character development that was incredible and made me rethink how friendships and relationships in high school work. It also gets bonus points for having an adorable LGBT feature. 

Foolish Hearts Review

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Warcross, by: Marie Lu

       For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.
       Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s 

creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

       Surprise, surprise, it’s another virtual reality book. (#noshame) Marie Lu is such a fabulous writer, and to combine her queenliness with a world type that I love is a recipe for success. Add in a tough female heroine who doesn’t take crap from anyone, and you’re looking at one of my all-time favorite books. If you’re looking for a smart, action-packed dystopian novel, you have come to the right place with this one. This book not only has the qualities of a great dystopia, but it also takes those elements and combines them with some wit and romance as well. Click to read my full review of a rant post about how good this book was. 

Warcross Review

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       Do you have any colorful books that need to be read ASAP? Let me know in the comments!

Your color-oriented reader,
Ashton​

She said it out loud, the words distributed into a room that was full of cold air and books. Books everywhere! Each wall was armed with overcrowded yet immaculate shelving. It was barely possible to see paintwork. There were all different styles and sizes of lettering on the spines of the black, the red, the gray, the every-colored books. It was one of the most beautiful things Liesel Meminger had ever seen.

— Markus Zusak, The Book Thief