A week at the beach means tons of time to read, which means my bag is * mostly * full of books. Not kidding, my backpack is 90% books for myself, and a few for my cousins to read.
Earlier this year I had planned to read nothing by YA contemporary at the beach. I tend to like fluffy contemporaries, but plans change.
The books I’ve brought with me are kind of all over the place, but genre wise, the majority are YA contemporaries. Two of them I’ve already read, and it’s time for a reread! I have high hopes for all of these books, and the majority have been sitting on my shelves staring at me, begging me to read them, but I’ve been waiting for my annual beach week to pick them up.
With that being said, let’s look at the books I’ve brought with me.
Imposters – Scott Westerfeld
I’m so thankful to Jessena (@gunslingerjess) on Twitter, who traded with me! I cannot wait to read this book and enter back into the world of Uglies. The original trilogy is one of my favorites and my first kind of foray into YA and defitniely dystopian. I’ve read them a couple of times, so I’m really excited to see what Scott Westerfeld has in store for us next!
Frey and Rafi are inseparable . . . but very few people have ever seen them together. This is because Frey is Rafi’s double, raised in the shadow’s of their rich father’s fortress. While Rafi has been taught to charm, Frey has been taught to kill. Frey only exists to protect her sister. There is no other part of her life. Frey has never been out in the world on her own – until her father sends her in Rafi’s place to act as collateral for a dangerous deal. Everyone thinks she’s her sister – but Col, the son of a rival leader, is starting to get close enough to tell the difference. As the stakes grow higher and higher, Frey must decide whether she can trust him – or anyone in her life.
Wicked Saints – Emily A. Duncan
I entered the Goodreads giveaway for this book, not ever anticipating winning one of the 100 bound manuscript copies. I’m so happy I get the chance to read this early! This is one of the books I mentioned earlier about books staring at me, begging me to read them. I’ve had this since May, and it’s been near torture to not touch it, to save it. But now’s the time!
Something dark and holy…
More Than We Can Tell – Brigid Kemmerer
It’s time for a reread! I read this back in October 2017 and I loved it! I knew that I would be rereading this on vacation – I reread Letters to the Lost last year on vacation and loved it just as much as the first time reading it, so I know that MTWCT isn’t going to disappoint! You can see my review here.
Rev Fletcher is battling the demons of his past. But with loving adoptive parents by his side, he’s managed to keep them at bay…until he gets a letter from his abusive father and the trauma of his childhood comes hurtling back.
Emma Blue spends her time perfecting the computer game she built from scratch, rather than facing her parents’ crumbling marriage. She can solve any problem with the right code, but when an online troll’s harassment escalates, she’s truly afraid.
When Rev and Emma meet, they both long to lift the burden of their secrets and bond instantly over their shared turmoil. But when their situations turn dangerous, their trust in each other will be tested in ways they never expected. This must-read story will once again have readers falling for Brigid Kemmerer’s emotional storytelling.
The Natural History of Us – Rachel Harris
I had no idea that there was a second book to The Fine Art of Pretending. When I found out that there was, I bought it instantly, and in my “plan” to read contemporaries at the beach, I knew that this would be one of them. I’m excited to read this book!
One class assignment. One second chance at love. The school player is all in. Now he needs to win back the sweet commitment girl who’s forever owned his heart.
Justin Carter has a secret. He’s not the total player Fairfield Academy believes him to be. Not really. In fact, he used to be a one-woman guy…and his feelings for her never went away. Too bad he broke her heart three years ago and made sure to ruin any chance she’d ever forgive him.
Peyton Williams is a liar. She pretends to be whole, counting down the days until graduation and helping her parents at the family ranch. But the truth is, she’s done everything she can to get over Justin, and salvation is just around the corner. With graduation one short month away, she’ll soon break free from the painful memories and start her life fresh. Of course, she has to get through working with him on one last assignment first.
For Justin, nothing ever felt as right as being with Peyton, and now that fate’s given him a shot at redemption, he’s determined to make the most of it. And for Peyton…well, Justin Carter has always been her kryptonite.
Kiss Collector – Wendy Higgins
I’ve loved everything else that Wendy Higgins has written, so I’m really excited to read her first contemporary! My friend read it and really enjoyed it, so I’m hoping I’m the same way! It sounds really good!
When seventeen-year-old Zae Monroe gets cheated on by the only guy she’s ever loved, then watches her parents’ marriage crumble, she decides to forget about relationships and turn the tables on the boys of the world. It’s time to take what she wants, and what she wants are kisses. Athletes, musicians, poets, and bad boys—their lips are all on her agenda, and it’s time to collect.
Zae proposes a contest with her friends to see who can kiss the most boys during spring break. But what starts as a harmless competition leads to a downward spiral she can’t seem to break free of. As family, academic, friend, and guy drama come to a head, Zae is forced to face the reasons behind her boy angst, and starts to wonder if she was wrong about the male race…or at least some of them.
Invisible Ghosts – Robyn Schneider
Yup! Another reread! I absolutely loved this book, and I knew that I would be rereading it not even a year later, and here we are. I have a review for this book, so if you’re interested, you can check it out here. This is definitely a new favorite and I want everyone to read it!
Rose Asher believes in ghosts. She should, since she has one for a best friend: Logan, her annoying, Netflix-addicted brother, who is forever stuck at fifteen. But Rose is growing up, and when an old friend moves back to Laguna Canyon and appears in her drama class, things get complicated.
Jamie Aldridge is charming, confident, and a painful reminder of the life Rose has been missing out on since her brother’s death. She watches as Jamie easily rejoins their former friends–a group of magnificently silly theater nerds–while avoiding her so intensely that it must be deliberate.
Yet when the two of them unexpectedly cross paths, Rose learns that Jamie has a secret of his own, one that changes everything. Rose finds herself drawn back into her old life–and to Jamie. But she quickly starts to suspect that he isn’t telling her the whole truth.
All Rose knows is that it’s becoming harder to choose between the boy who makes her feel alive and the brother she isn’t ready to lose.
Broken Prince – Erin Watt
I binge read Paper Princess and instantly went out and bought books 2&3 so I could bring at least one of them to the beach. I think this series is will be a quick, enjoyable NA reads. I know some people have issues with these books, and while we can acknowledge that these books aren’t perfect, we can still enjoy them.
From wharf fights and school brawls to crumbling lives inside glittery mansions, one guy tries to save himself.
THESE ROYALS WILL RUIN YOU…
Reed Royal has it all—looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.
What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely—keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.
Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.
SHE MIGHT BE RIGHT.
Secrets. Betrayal. Enemies. It’s like nothing Reed has ever dealt with before, and if he’s going to win back his princess, he’ll need to prove himself Royally worthy.
Have you read any of these books? Are you excited to read any of these new releases, or otherwise? Let me know!
**By the time this post goes live, I’ll have been at the beach for two days and some handful of hours, and hopefully I’ll have a book completed or nearly completed by then!
Writing The Universe 