Quick Picks ~ This Week's Top 3 Reads

This past week I've indulged in some great reads. 

Today I'm bringing three of these to your attention: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, True North by K. R. Conway, and Dreamology by Lucy Keating. I hope they will intrigue you, entertain you, and above all have you falling in love with their worlds and characters.

Let's get listing!

This week's Top 3 Picks

#1: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Genre(s): YA, contemporary, romance

One sentence summary: A girl allergic to the world finds friendship and possible romance with the boy next door.

Best part(s): The times where Olly visits Madeline because they're so adorable and awkward! I love how he tries his hardest to make their time together feel as normal as possible, despite her condition.

Least favourite part(s): There are none! I am utterly biased because I fell in love with this book the moment I opened it! Nicola Yoon is too flawless to write anything less than PERFECTION. But if I had to find a single flaw, it's that the ending wasn't quite as satisfying as I would have liked it to be. 

Fave quote: 

'Sometimes I reread my favorite books from back to front. I start with the last chapter and read backward until I get to the beginning. When you read this way, characters go from hope to despair, from self-knowledge to doubt. In love stories, couples start out as lovers and end as strangers. Coming-of-age books become stories of losing your way. Your favorite characters come back to life.'

Add to your Goodreads bookshelf today!

#2: True North by K. R. Conway

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Genre(s): YA, fantasy, romance

One sentence summary: A girl on the run from dark forces seeks answers from relics of the past with the help of her friends.

Best part(s): My first pick has to be the cover because is it just me or do the character silhouettes on the front look totally badass?! The covers for this series all compliment one another, and I adore how the pop of colour in the background (red for this book) really draws attention to the powerful stance of the shadowy figures.

My second pick is the character growth. We're now on book number three of the Undertow series and the characters we've journeyed with have changed. They've learned to open their hearts, or to harden them - to be wary and cautious, or to embrace danger and make sacrifices for the greater good. And True North finds K. R. Conway's motley band of characters at the height of their maturity, as they face old and new threats. Looking back to the beginning of the series, it's amazing to see how far some of them have come!

Least favourite part(s): The parts where K. R. Conway made me cry oceans of tears. Why do I have emotions?! My poor bookworm heart can't take it! (I'm only kidding, I love K. R. Conway's epic ability to make readers feel all the feels!)

Fave quote: 

"War calls for great sacrifice, Ana. No one is spared, neither the agony nor the scars. Condemn me as the true killer I am, but for every life I took, I saved ten Mortis in return, decades later. THAT is the truth of war, and I will never feel guilty for defending my family. You are part of my family now, and I will slay the innocent to see you safe.”

Add to your Goodreads bookshelf today!

#3: Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Genre(s): YA, fantasy, contemporary, romance

One sentence summary: Girl's dream boy turns into an IRL boy.

Best part(s): Umm...did you guys miss the fact that this book is basically documenting every fangirl's dream?! Who hasn't wished they could have the handsome guy from that dream they had/that book they read/that movie they watched just turn up at their place of work? Because I know that I'd love to have Daemon from J. L. Armentrout's Lux series randomly turn up at one of my uni lectures. *swoons*

It's also so, so witty and funny - the perfect blend of contemporary romance and magical fantasy elements that would capture and keep any reader's attention and imagination. 

(Also Chapter 27 is titled 'I like your alpacas' which of course makes this book one of the best books ever written, in my opinion.)

Least favourite part(s): The part where our protagonist says she feels like 'Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman'. Not that I don't love watching that movie. And not that I don't understand the connection (i.e. the gift giving) but I kinda feel like no one should ever have to feel like Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman because that poor woman had to go through some terrible situations. However, I will admit that I'd take Max over Pretty Woman's Edward any day <3 

Fave quote: 

'I stare at them, like if I look away they'll cease to exist. How is it possible that even though only our hands are touching, the feeling of warmth has spread up through my elbow and into my chest? I don't take my eyes off them until we pull up outside my house, when Max is forced to release his grip so he can put the car in park. We sit in silence for a moment staring straight ahead, the interior of the car crackling with something beyond either of our understanding, my left hand feeling empty and cold.'

 

Add to your Goodreads bookshelf today!

Which book will you be adding to your TBR? Have you read any standout books this week?

Let me know in the comments below!

Although I was provided with a review copy by the author and/or publisher, all opinions expressed in the this post are purely my own. To find out more, please visit my disclaimer page.