ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title: Illuminae

Authors: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Knopf

Synopsis: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Most Anticipated Books of 2016

There are sooooo many books coming out in 2016 that I’m excited for, so I thought I would share them with you (In no particular order) so you can be excited with me 🙂

• A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Considering that An Ember in the Ashes may have been my favorite read of 2015, it’s pretty obvious that this should be one of my most anticipated, if not the most anticipated read of 2016.

• A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic was my first Victoria Schwab book and I absolutely adored it (give me more!!!!!!). Since then I have bought all of her books except The Near Witch, so naturally I have to have this one as well.

• Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

There’s something about Alexandra Bracken’s story premises that just SCREAM my name. I can’t explain it, except to say that all her books sound incredible.

• The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan is hilarious. ‘Nuff said.

• The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Another Morgan Matson book? Um, yes!! And speaking of Morgan Matson…

• Hearts, Fingers, and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn (a.k.a. Morgan Matson)

Just the funniest, most nerve-wracking, cutest series. I’ve been with them since book one (insert muscle emoji here).

• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

I just finished A Court of Thorns and Roses and HOLY SMOKES. GIVE ME MORE. To be honest, I’m kind of glad I waited this long to read it, if only so I don’t have to wait as long for the sequel…

• Throne of Glass #5 by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah, ma homieeeeee

• The Siren by Kiera Cass

Usually I avoid books about sirens because they feel a little young-ish and a little my-years-of-reading-mermaid-books-ish, but I have faith that this will be good, especially coming from Kiera Cass. Her books have their flaws, but I definitely enjoy them.

• Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

The premise for this one is just super intriguing, and Sasha (abookutopia on youtube) loves it, so why not?

• Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Ah Marissa Meyer… The joy and the feels that you bring me. How could I not want more?

• Stars Above

I’m super excited to get just a little bit more from our beloved Lunar Chronicles characters. Especially Cinder and Kai. And Thorne. *winks*

So, there you have it. My most anticipated reads of 2016! What are some of yours? (Comment below)

The Woes of a Bookworm: The Difficulties of Bookshopping

You know those times when you just don’t know which book to buy? And not because you’re not sure what to read, but because you just have too many books you want to read?

It happens to me pretty much every time I go to the bookstore: that stressful moment when you just can’t seem to make a decision. So I thought it would be helpful to create a guide of sorts: (keep in mind this may not be right for you – I’m just speaking from personal experiences)

1. Consider what you want to read after the book you’re currently reading. If you buy it knowing when you’ll read it, you definitely won’t regret buying it.
2. That said, a lot of times when I go to the bookstore, I’ll impulse buy a book with a pretty cover or an interesting synopsis that really suits my mood at the moment, but when I go home I just put it on my shelf and forget about it. Unless you’re going to read that book right after you buy it, stay away from impulse buys!
3. think about anything that may be happening in your life soon. If summer’s coming up, try a contemporary you’re interested in or something you know you’d love to read on the beach. If you know you’re going to have a long weekend or school break, go for a book you know you’ll want to be totally engrossed in.
4. don’t do that “I’ll buy this for when I want to read a _____ novel.” Yeah, you’ll never want to read that book. If you’re tbr is as long as mine, save yourself the trouble of buying another book you don’t actually care about.
5. think about if this is a book you would buy if you went to the bookstore a month from now, or if it’s a book you would read again. (I mean, obviously, you don’t know if you’ll like it or not, but usually you can tell if it’s going to be a book that you read once and then hide at the bottom of your shelves.)

The gist of it: buy what you can see yourself actually reading and having a genuine interest in.

Congratulations! Now you can leave the bookstore knowing you’ve done something right in the world.